U.S. stocks opened higher on Friday, setting up Wall Street for a strong quarterly performance, as Apple shares hit record high and signs of easing inflation offered relief to investors worried about more interest rate hikes.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 147.50 points, or 0.43 percent, at the open to 34,269.92. The S&P 500 opened higher by 26.00 points, or 0.59 percent, at 4,422.44, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 128.65 points, or 0.95 percent, to 13,719.98 at the opening bell.