U.S. stocks opened modestly higher after fresh data showed headline inflation dipped in December, with price pressures continuing to ease since last year's June peak. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.3% soon after the opening bell, while the S&P 500 and technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite also each rose 0.3%, according to FactSet data, at last check. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said Thursday that the consumer-price index fell 0.1% in December for a year-over-year rate of 6.5%. That's down from 7.1% in the 12 months through November and in line with forecasts from economists polled by the Wall Street Journal. Core CPI data, which excludes energy and food prices, was also in line with forecasts, rising 0.3% in December and 5.7% over the past 12 months.
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