U.S. Stocks Open Slightly Higher; S&P, Dow Near Record Levels

U.S. stocks opened slightly higher on Friday, with the S&P 500 trading near record levels. Investors assessed two sets of manufacturing data released ahead of the market open, which came in below expectations, underlying the recent trend of weakness in the economy. The S&P 500 opened a point higher at 2,121. The Dow Jones Industrial Average opened 9 points higher at 18,260. The Nasdaq Composite began the session up 4 points, or 0.1%, to 5,054.60.