NEW YORK - U.S. stocks opened sharply higher on Thursday, as China sounded hopeful of a resolution to the long-standing trade dispute with the United States, allaying investor worries of the risk of a recession.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI rose 212.99 points, or 0.82%, at the open to 26,249.09.

The S&P 500 .SPX opened higher by 22.43 points, or 0.78%, at 2,910.37. The Nasdaq Composite .IXIC gained 88.90 points, or 1.13%, to 7,945.78 at the opening bell.