Wall Street opened higher on Tuesday as the fourth-quarter earnings season started with a stronger-than-expected profit from Alcoa Inc and higher outlooks from several retailers.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> rose 52.41 points, or 0.45 percent, at 11,689.86. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> gained 5.51 points, or 0.43 percent, at 1,275.26. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> added 12.17 points, or 0.45 percent, at 2,719.97.