NEW YORK: Wall Street stocks were higher early Thursday, extending a choppy trend as the United States unveiled new sanctions in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The US measures, which involve freezing assets held in the United States, single out 328 members of Russia’s lower house State Duma and 48 defense companies, the White House announced as President Joe Biden attended summits in Brussels focused on the war.

US equities have had a volatile week, falling Monday and rebounding Tuesday before dropping Wednesday as markets weigh the implications of higher oil prices, the Ukraine situation and Federal Reserve statements signaling efforts to combat inflation.

US stocks open lower, continuing volatile week

About 45 minutes into trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.6 percent at 34,547.77.

The broad-based S&P 500 gained 0.5 percent to 4,479.32, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index climbed 0.2 percent to 13,951.03

Among economic data releases, the Commerce Department said durable goods orders fell 2.2 percent in February, more than expected and the first decline in five months.