U.S. stocks opened higher on Wednesday on gains in commodity prices and renewed merger and acquisition activity.

Adding optimism to the market, U.S. industrial production rose for a second consecutive month, providing more evidence the economic recovery was underway. For details, see

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> was up 28.64 points, or 0.30 percent, at 9,712.05. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> rose 3.86 points, or 0.37 percent, at 1,056.49. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> gained 8.35 points, or 0.40 percent, at 2,110.99.

(Reporting by Angela Moon, Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)

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