NEW YORK (AP) -- Stocks are slightly higher in early trading on Wall Street, even as several big retailers slumped after reporting disappointing earnings.
Shortly after the opening bell Friday the Dow Jones industrial average was up 25 points at 15,259, an increase of 0.2 percent.
The Standard & Poor's 500 index was up four points at 1,655, or 0.3 percent.
The Nasdaq composite, which is heavily weighted with technology stocks, edged up eight points to 3,480, or 0.2 percent.
Northrop Grumman rose 5 percent, the most of any stock in the S&P 500 index, after the defense contractor approved the repurchase of another $4 billion of its own stock.
Nordstrom fell 3 percent after the luxury retailer said its net income fell slightly in its latest quarter, citing weak demand for spring merchandise.
