US stocks edged higher on Friday as a stronger-than-expected consumer confidence report fed optimism and buyers were drawn to shares made cheaper by a steep slide in recent sessions.
General Electric Co. shares helped support the blue chip Dow after Merrill Lynch said it added GE to its list of top stock picks.
The Dow Jones industrial average rose 33.63 points, or 0.33 percent, to 10,252.45. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index gained 4.12 points, or 0.37 percent, to 1,113.31. The technology-laced Nasdaq Composite Index was up 5.36 points, or 0.27 percent, at 1,972.53.