US: Stocks edge higher after three-day retreat

[NEW YORK] Wall Street stocks edged higher early Friday, as investors waded back into the market following a three-day sell-off sparked by US tensions with North Korea.

The deepest declines this week came Thursday after President Donald Trump doubled down on threats against North Korea over its nuclear program.

Mr Trump on Friday said the US military is "locked and loaded" in the event of a misstep by Pyongyang. But stocks rose anyway.

About 15 minutes into trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average stood at 21,868.95, up 0.1 per cent.

The broad-based S&P 500 added 0.1 per cent at 2,440.81, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index gained 0.2 per cent to 6,228.19.

Friday's move "suggests that the headline shock value pertaining to the US-North Korea standoff is starting to dissipate, which is to say actual action will now speak much louder than words," said Briefing.com analyst Patrick O'Hare.

AFP