US stocks opened higher on Wednesday as Disney's surprise quarterly profit and a slate of upbeat results from healthcare companies lifted sentiment ahead of service sector data.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 96.31 points, or 0.36%, at the open to 26,924.78.

The S&P 500 opened higher by 13.75 points, or 0.42%, at 3,320.26. The Nasdaq Composite gained 26.71 points, or 0.24%, to 10,967.87 at the opening bell.