US STOCKS SNAPSHOT-Wall St gains as investors cheer declining jobless claims

July 9 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks opened higher on Thursday after data pointed to a declining trend in weekly jobless claims, with investors also weighing the risk of another business shutdown as U.S. COVID-19 cases soared.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 27.64 points, or 0.11%, at the open to 26,094.92. The S&P 500 opened higher by 6.23 points, or 0.20%, at 3,176.17, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 71.22 points, or 0.68%, to 10,563.72 at the opening bell. (Reporting by C Nivedita in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'Silva)