New Delhi, March 4 -- US stock benchmark opened higher on Wednesday as market sentiment shifted toward cautious optimism following President Donald Trump's assurance to stabilize global energy market amid the escalating Middle East conflict.

At the opening bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 134.33 points or 0.28% to 48,629.08. The S&P 500 rose 15.1 points, or 0.22%, to 6,831.69​, while the Nasdaq Composite rose 104.2 points, or 0.46%, to 22,620.89.

CFRA Research's Sam Stovall cited President Trump's pledge to direct the US Navy to provide safe passage to oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway where traffic has slowed considerably since the US-Israeli siege on Iran, sending oil prices higher, according to...