US stocks open higher with the Dow leading the way

NASDAQ index lacks. Merck the focus

the US stocks are opening higher with the Dow industrial average leading the way. Merck shares are up 10.9% after announcing an antiviral drug for Covid that reduces hospitalizations by 50%. That has the other vaccine stocks lower however.

A snapshot of the market currently shows:

• Dow industrial average up 185 points or 0.55% at 34026
• S&P index up 7.64 points or 0.18% at 4314.24
• the NASDAQ index is just turned back negative at -8.5 points or -0.06% at 14440