U.S. stocks open higher amid Yellen's remarks

U.S. stocks opened higher on Thursday, as investors digested comments from U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen and a batch of economic data.

Shortly after the opening bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 18.11 points, or 0.10 percent, to 18,886.25. The S&P 500 rose 4.96 points, or 0.23 percent, to 2,181.90. The Nasdaq Composite Index was up 5.63 points, or 0.11 percent, to 5,300.21.

The Fed could raise interest rates "relatively soon" if economic data keeps pointing to an improving labor market and rising inflation, Yellen said in prepared remarks on Thursday.

Analysts took her comments as a clear indication that the central bank could raise interest rates next month.

According to the CME Group's FedWatch tool, market expectations for a December rate hike were 90.6 percent.

Yellen is scheduled to testify in front of Congress later Thursday.

On the economic front, U.S. privately-owned housing starts in October were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.323 million units, the Commerce Department announced Thursday.

This is 25.5 percent above the revised September estimate of 1.054 million units, and is 23.3 percent above the October 2015 rate of 1.073 million units.

In the week ending Nov. 12, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 235,000, a decrease of 19,000 from the previous week's unrevised level of 254,000, according to the Labor Department. Enditem