the us stock market opened slightly higher monday as investors weighed a plunge in a gauge of manufacturing activity in the state of new york the dow jones industrial average djia was up 01 soon after the opening bell while the sp 500 spx rose 01 and the technologyheavy nasdaq composite comp gained 01 according to factset data at last check the federal reserve bank of new york’s empire state business conditions index a measure of manufacturing activity in the state plunged 426 points in may to a negative 318 according to a report monday from the regional fed bank