U.S. Stocks Rise as Brent Crosses $35; Walmart’s Q4 Disappoints

U.S. stocks opened slightly higher on Thursday as oil prices clocked gains over 3 percent. Brent, the international price for oil, crossed $35 a barrel after Iran showed support for Saudi Arabia and Russia freezing production, but it's still unclear if Iran will do the same. Meanwhile, Walmart (WMT) posted a mixed fourth quarter. Profit exceeded Wall Street's estimates, but revenue came in just over a billion dollars short of estimates. The retail giant also expects 'relatively flat' sales growth for the year. James Hughes, chief market analyst at GKFX, based in London, said soft retail sales has weighed on Walmart's performance. Finally, President Obama will travel to Cuba - the first time a sitting U.S. President has visited the island nation in nearly a century. The trip marks an symbolic step towards rebuilding relationships between the two countries. TheStreet’s Scott Gamm has details from Wall Street.