Stocks are edging higher in the early going after strong U.S. earnings and General Electric's sale of its remaining NBCUniversal stake.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 1 point to 14,020 shortly after the opening bell Wednesday. The index rose to its highest close since 2007 on Tuesday following strong quarterly results from builders and retailers.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 3 points to 1,523. The Nasdaq composite climbed 10 points 3,197.

Deere & Co. and Duke Energy are reporting strong earnings. GE is selling its 49 percent stake in NBCUniversal to Comcast Corp. the nation's largest cable TV operator, for $16.7 billion.

The government reported retail sales ticked up 0.1 percent last month. The small increase suggests spending may be weak in the January-March quarter.