US stocks open slightly higher; Yum Brands is among early gainers on strong global sales

NEW YORK – U.S. stocks are edging higher in early trading as traders pore over more earnings news.

Yum Brands rose 4 percent Wednesday after reporting higher global sales at Taco Bell and KFC.

Chipotle sank 6 percent after the company reported lower sales of pork because of a shortage of the meat.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 30 points, or 0.2 percent, to 17,977 as of 9:35 a.m. Eastern time.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose two points, or 0.1 percent, to 2,100. The Nasdaq gained 10 points, or 0.2 percent, to 5,024.

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 closed above 20,000 for the first time in 15 years.

Bond prices fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 1.92 percent.