After about 45 minutes of trading, the Dow Jones industrial average, broad-based S&P 500 index and tech-heavy Nasdaq composite index have all risen 0.4 percent.
All three indices now look set to finish May with gains, with the Nasdaq showing the greatest strength; for the month as a whole the index is up about 8 percent.
Among individual stocks, Dell's shares rose 32.6 percent after its first-quarter report. The company reported, among other things, a revenue increase of almost 90 percent.
Since the beginning of the year, Dell's shares have risen 233 percent.
In the consumer sector, however, it's worse on Friday. Gap and American Eagle Outfitters are falling sharply following their quarterly reports.
