(Updates with open)
NEW YORK, March 21 (Reuters) - Stocks climbed at Friday's opening bell, pushing the blue-chip Dow toward its eighth straight session of gains as hopes mount for a short war with U.S.-led troops sweeping through southern Iraq.
The blue-chip Dow Jones industrial average rose 90 points, or 1.09 percent, at 8,376. The broad Standard and Poor's 500 index jumped 9 points, or 1.03 percent, to 884. The tech-laced Nasdaq Composite Index advanced 13 points, or 0.96 percent, to 1,416.
With Iraq putting up only sporadic resistance, the United States said it hoped to achieve its goal of ousting President Saddam Hussein without bringing all its firepower to bear. The United States said it was in touch with Iraqi forces, including members of Saddam's elite Republican Guard, over what they had to do to surrender without a fight.
Mounting hopes for a quick and decisive U.S. victory over Iraq have boosted the Dow and the broad Standard & Poor's 500 seven sessions in a row -- their longest streak of gains since August 2000. Worries remain over the burning of Iraqi oil wells, terror attacks and chemical warfare, but the early successes of U.S.-led forces dominated.
Sour corporate news failed to damp investor spirits as hopes mounted that corporate growth would pick up steam after the war against Iraq has ended.
Intuit Inc. , the maker of QuickBooks and TurboTax software, tumbled $10.19, or 19 percent, to $40.70. The company cut 2003 revenue and earnings growth targets on Thursday after the close, blaming the economic slowdown for soft sales across its product line.