Stocks edge higher on better economic news

3/20/2014
ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW YORK — The stock market is moving higher as encouraging news on the U.S. economy outweighs concerns that interest rates may start to rise next year.

Guess slumped after the apparel maker reported lower quarterly income and predicted a loss for the current quarter.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 index rose six points, or 0.4 percent, to 1,866 as of noon today.

The Dow Jones industrial average gained 63 points, or 0.4 percent, to 16,286. The Nasdaq composite climbed seven points, or 0.2 percent, to 4,315.

An index of economic indicators rose in February by the largest amount in three months, suggesting growth will accelerate following a severe winter.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia said separately that manufacturing rebounded in that region in March.