U.S. stocks are opening slightly higher as investors prepare to close the books on 2014.
The Dow Jones industrial average rose 45 points, or 0.3 per cent, to 18,028 as of 9:35 a.m. Eastern time Wednesday.
The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose three points, or 0.2 per cent, to 2,083 and the Nasdaq composite gained 13 points, or 0.3 per cent, to 4,790.
In Europe, Britain's FTSE was up 0.2 per cent and France's CAC 40 was up 0.6 per cent.
Energy stocks sank as the price of oil fell again. Chevron lost 1.3 per cent, the most in the Dow.
Benchmark U.S. crude fell $1.26 to $52.88 a barrel in New York. Oil has fallen 50 per cent since June.
Bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note edged down to 2.18 per cent.
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