U.S. Stocks Open Higher As ECB Plans To Launch QE

U.S. stocks opened slightly higher as Mario Draghi, president of the European Central Bank announced that the central bank would kick off a trillion-dollar plan to purchase government bonds on March 9. Investors digested a raft of weaker-than-expected economic data, including a surprise jump in weekly jobless claims. The S&P 500 opened 2 points, or 0.1%, higher at 2,100.66. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 14 points, or 0.1%, to 18,110.42. The Nasdaq Composite began the day up 12 points, or 0.3%, at 4,979.71.