US stock markets opens higher

By Ovunc Kutlu

NEW YORK

U.S. stock markets opened higher Thursday as the growth of the American economy late last year beat expectations.

The Dow rose 11 points to open at 20,670, while the S&P 500 added less than a point to 2,361.

The Nasdaq increased four points to begin trading at 5,901.

The U.S. economy grew by 2.1 percent in the fourth quarter of last year, the Commerce Department announced earlier Thursday.

Market expectations held that the economy would expand 2 percent in the last quarter of 2016, and the last full quarter under then-President Barack Obama.