U.S. stocks opened higher on Wednesday as better-than-expected economic data from China and comments from Federal Reserve officials on continued low interest rates buoyed investors' appetite for riskier investments.

* The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> gained 47.76 points, or 0.47 percent, to 10,294.73. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> gained 6.43 points, or 0.59 percent, to 1,099.44. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> gained 14.63 points, or 0.68 percent, to 2,165.71.

(Reporting by Edward Krudy; Editing by Padraic Cassidy)

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