Jan 16 (Reuters) - The benchmark S&P 500 opened slightly

higher on Thursday following strong gains in the previous

session, as investors assessed softer-than-expected retail sales

data and a set of strong bank earnings.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 68.7 points, or

0.16%, at the open to 43,290.25. The S&P 500 rose 13.7

points, or 0.23%, to 5,963.61​, while the Nasdaq Composite

rose 62.6 points, or 0.32%, to 19,573.867.