NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are edging slightly higher in early trading after investors set aside two weak economic reports.

Monsanto jumped 6 percent after the company posted quarterly earnings that topped estimates and disclosed a big stock buyback plan.

The Dow Jones industrial average inched up 13 points, less than 0.1 percent, to 16,831 points in the first few minutes of trading Wednesday.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 index rose two points, or 0.1 percent, to 1.952 and the Nasdaq composite rose five points, or 0.1 percent, to 4,356.

In a revised estimate, the Commerce Department said the U.S. economy shrank at annual rate of 2.9 percent in the first three months of the year.

The government also said orders for long-lasting goods sank 1 percent in May.

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