NEW YORK, Oct. 3 -- US stocks opened higher on Wednesday as market sentiment was lifted by the better-than-expected jobs data.

Shortly after the opening bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 140.16 points, or 0.52 percent, to 26,914.10. The S&P 500 was up 12.68 points, or 0.43 percent, to 2,936.11. The Nasdaq Composite Index advanced 39.80 points, or 0.50 percent, to 8,039.35.

Intel and Caterpillar stocks were among the best performers. Shares of the two companies climbed 3.18 percent and 1.34 percent, respectively, shortly after the opening.

On economic data, US private sector employment increased by 230,000 jobs from August to September, according to research institute ADP's National Employment Report on Wednesday. The reading was well above the market expectations of 185,000 and the August revised rate of 168,000.

The ADP National Employment Report provides a monthly snapshot of US nonfarm private sector employment based on actual transactional payroll data.

US stocks ended mixed on Tuesday with the Dow posting triple-digit gains, boosted by rallying Intel shares.