The Nasdaq Composite Index is ahead 26 points and the Standard-and-Poor's 500 Stock Index is up 16 points.
Investors will be waiting for the outcome of today's election to be revealed. In the coming hour, the government releases data on September factory orders. Just yesterday, the Institute for Supply Management told of a steep contraction in manufacturing for the month of October. That was followed by reports of dismal auto sales for the month.
Oil prices are rising. Light, sweet crude for December delivery was up $1.04 to $64.95 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange by afternoon in Europe.
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