U.S. stocks open mixed as tech stocks rise

NEW YORK, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- U.S. stocks opened mixed on Thursday, with tech-heavy Nasdaq on track to post third consecutive gains, as technology stocks continued to bounce back.

Shortly after the opening bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 15.66 points, or 0.07 percent, to 24,164.98. The S&P 500 decreased 0.30 points, or 0.01 percent, to 2,629.27. The Nasdaq Composite Index was up 11.62 points, or 0.17 percent, to 6,788.00.

Technology stocks rose broadly on Thursday after being pressured last week. The sector is the best performer so far in 2017, with the Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund rising nearly 31 percent on a year-to-date basis.

Meanwhile, the rest of the market traded slightly lower as investors kept an eye on the progress of the U.S. tax reform. The U.S. Senate on Saturday morning passed the Republican bill to overhaul the tax code in decades, moving one step closer to the first major legislative victory of the Trump administration and congressional Republicans.

Analysts said market sentiment had been boosted by the prospect of the tax bill, sending the Dow Jones Industrial Average to record highs earlier this week. Enditem