US stocks edge up ahead of data US markets edged up in early activity after retreating from nearly four-year cyclical highs on Tuesday as investors awaited the release of new housing data. The S&P 500 was up 0.1 per cent to 1,407.51 in the morning session on Wednesday as markets looked ahead to the release of existing home sales figures in February with consensus around 4.6m. Hartford Financial Services was the leading gainer on the benchmark US index as it updated its first quarter projected earnings, above analysts" expectations. Shares in the insurance company rose 7.2 per cent to $23.27. The S&P 500 financial service index was leading all major sectors up 0.4 per cent. Bank of America was near the top of bank stocks and was flirting with the $10 threshold. Shares in the bank, which have now doubled since last August, climbed 1.6 per cent to $9.69. The Nasdaq Composite Index was up 0.3 per cent to 3,082.92. LinkedIn , the online professional networking site, was among the top gainers on the technology-heavy index. Shares in the company rose almost 7 per cent to $98.25 after receiving an upgrade from "hold" to "buy" by analysts at Goldman Sachs. Oracle , the software company, climbed 1.4 per cent to $30.53 after giving the tech sector a boost as it reported a "very solid" third quarter in three months to February 29. Analyst reactions to the company's results were mixed, however. "The fact is that Oracle is not growing particularly rapidly and despite an extended discussion to the contrary, the firm is facing a tougher group of competitors," said Richard David, tech analyst at Canaccord, and reiterated his "hold" rating. Meanwhile, Citigroup analysts described the software company as "back on track" and maintained their "buy" rating on its shares. Micron Technologies , the semiconducter manufacturer, gained 3.4 per cent to 8.87 as reports said the company had made a $1.5bn bid to acquire Elpida Memory , a Japanese chipmaker. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.1 per cent to 13,188.99. Walt Disney , the entertainment group, was the second best performer on the blue-chip heavy index behind Bank of America. Shares in the company, which said on Tuesday that it would suffer a $200m loss on its latest film John Carter , were up 1.4 per cent to $43.86. Analysts at Nomura added its shares to their "conviction buy list," saying: "We believe the focus will now shift to Disney's core assets, which we believe are poised for above-peer growth."