Energy companies lead US stocks higher in early trading

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are opening higher today as energy, machinery and chemicals companies get a boost from the weaker dollar.

U.S. oil is up 1.7 percent at $51.21 a barrel in New York. Anadarko Petroleum rose 2.5 percent and Marathon Oil added 3 percent.

VeriFone Systems, which makes terminals used for electronic payments, is down 28 percent after slashing its outlook and saying it will eliminate jobs.

The Dow Jones industrial average gained 72 points, or 0.4 percent, at 18,010. The Standard & Poor's 500 index added 7 points, or 0.3 percent, at 2,118. The Nasdaq composite index rose 12 points, or 0.3 percent, to 4,974.

Bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-Year U.S. Treasury note slipped to 1.71 percent.