US: Stocks higher with technology plays

[NEW YORK] US stocks opened higher on Tuesday with the Nasdaq Composite hitting yet another record high, boosted by technology shares.

At 9:48 ET, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.21 per cent at 20,949.93. The S&P 500 was up 0.24 per cent at 2,379.06 and the Nasdaq Composite was up 0.33 per cent at 5,920.879.

Apple rose 0.66 per cent to an all-time high of US$142.40 after the company unveiled a new version of its iPad tablet. The stock was the biggest boost to all the three major indexes. The gains were broad, with all the 11 major S&P sectors higher, led by technology and healthcare stocks .

Investor optimism was also boosted by French centrist Emmanuel Macron's performance in a television debate that boosted a view that he would win the presidential election over the far-right's Marine Le Pen.

The expectations boosted sentiment across Europe, with stock markets across the region broadly firmer.

REUTERS