Stocks opened higher on Tuesday after positive comments on the economy and banks from Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke and Bank of America Corp sold its stake in a Chinese bank to help shore up its balance sheet.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> gained 60.06 points, or 0.71 percent, to 8,478.83. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> rose 5.71 points, or 0.63 percent, to 914.95. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> added 11.14 points, or 0.64 percent, to 1,742.38.

(Reporting by Rodrigo Campos; editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)

Ben Bernanke