S&P 500 Index opens modestly higher supported by financial stocks

• Wall Street's main indexes trade in the positive territory on Thursday.
• S&P 500 Financials Index is up nearly 1% after the opening bell.
• Investors remain focused on headlines surrounding US stimulus talks.

Major equity indexes in the US opened modestly higher on Thursday as investors remain optimistic about additional US fiscal stimulus. As of writing, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.28% on the day at 30,801, the S&P 500 ındex was gaining 0.26% at 3,840 and the Nasdaq Composite was rising 0.25% at 13,432.

Earlier in the day, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said that they need to "act big" to provide a bridge and avoid scarring in the economy. Additionally, White House economic adviser Jared Bernstein noted that US President Joe Biden's coronavirus relief plan will include targeted aid to business who need it most.

Among the 11 major S&P 500 sectors, the Financials Index is up nearly 1% as the best performer after the opening bell. On the other hand, the Materials Index is losing 1.3%.

S&P 500 chart (daily)