Stocks are rising in early trading on strong retail sales news and better corporate profit reports.
Retail sales increased 1.1 percent in September, the biggest gain in seven months and twice what economists projected. Retail sales are a key barometer of consumer spending, the biggest contributor to the U.S. economy.
Google Inc. surged 7 percent after reporting that its online advertising and search dominance helped third-quarter profits rise 26 percent.
The Dow Jones industrial average is up 109 points, or 1 percent, at 11,587 shortly after the opening bell. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index is up 16, or 1.3 percent, at 1,220. The Nasdaq composite index is up 39, or 1.5 percent, at 2,659.
