Summary Five minutes into trade, the Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 26.49 points.
NEW YORK (AFP) - Wall Street stocks opened higher Friday despite a 3 percent plunge in Japanese shares and the first US air strikes on Iraq since 2011.
Five minutes into trade, the Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 26.49 points (0.16 percent) to 16,394.76.
The broad-based S&P 500 gained 4.05 (0.21 percent) to 1,913.62, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index added 5.49 (0.13 percent) at 4,340.46.
US jets struck jihadist positions in northern Iraq after President Barack Obama approved air strikes following major gains by Islamic militants in the country.
Investors are also eyeing fighting in Ukraine and a resumption of hostilities in Gaza after a three-day cease-fire ended.
"Investor attention is focused mostly on geopolitical events," said a market note from Wells Fargo Advisors.
Analysts also cited Chinese trade data, which showed July exports surged 14.5 percent, an encouraging figure for the world s second-biggest economy.
