NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks edged up at the open on Thursday, with gains in the energy and healthcare sectors partly offset by falling utilities shares.
The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> rose 44.97 points, or 0.25 percent, to 17,947.48, the S&P 500 <.SPX> gained 4.38 points, or 0.21 percent, to 2,086.28 and the Nasdaq Composite <.IXIC> added 17.65 points, or 0.36 percent, to 4,968.47.
Energy shares advanced as crude prices bounced back from a trouncing in the previous session.
(Reporting by Rodrigo Campos; Editing by Bernadette Baum)