U.S. stocks opened higher Wednesday morning on stronger corporate profits.

Yum Brands Inc., parent of fast-food chains KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut, reported a 14 percent increase in first-quarter earnings.

As of 9:45 a.m., the Dow Jones industrial average rose 36.97

to 13,173.11. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 4.05 to 1,490.35, and the Nasdaq composite index rose 7.04 to 2,538.57.

Late Friday, the Labor Department will report non-farm payrolls and unemployment data and the Commerce Department is to release report on factory orders.

Source: Xinhua