Stocks are rising just after the market opened, on track to end their best February in 14 years.
The Standard & Poor's 500 index is up 4.8 percent this month. It hasn't gained that much in a February since 1998, before the tech bubble burst.
Stocks were lifted early Wednesday by news that the economy grew at a 3 percent annual rate in the fourth quarter, faster than earlier estimates and the best reading since the spring of 2010.
Moments after the opening bell, the Dow is up 23 points, or 0.2 percent, at 13,027. The S&P 500 is up 3, or 0.2 percent, at 1,375. The Nasdaq is up 7, or 0.2 percent, at 2,993.
In economic news, new data showed the economy grew a bit faster than initially thought in the fourth quarter on slightly firmer consumer and business spending, which could help to allay fears of a sharp slowdown in growth in early 2012.
Gross domestic product expanded at a 3 percent annual rate, the quickest pace since the second quarter of 2010, the Commerce Department said in its second estimate. That was a step up from the 2.8 percent pace it reported in January.
The U.S. stock market is seen adding to the previous day's gains that catapulted the Dow industrials and the S&P 500 above key levels to close at multi-year highs.
The Dow closed above 13,000 for the first time since May 2008 on Tuesday, while the S&P ended above 1,370, its May 2011 intraday high, which could entice money managers seeking to boost returns. But some analysts warned this year's rally has come in light volume, and further gains could trigger selling.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
