Wall Street rises at open as data lifts sentiment

Stocks opened higher on Thursday, with sentiment buoyed by key government data that reinforced hopes that the recession may be abating and investors digested news from General Motors that a bondholders committee supported a new debt-for-equity exchange offer.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> was up 63.80 points, or 0.77 percent, at 8,363.82. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> was up 7.33 points, or 0.82 percent, at 900.39. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> was up 15.24 points, or 0.88 percent, at 1,746.32.

(Reporting by Ellis Mnyandu; Editing by Padraic Cassidy)