Stocks opened higher on Tuesday after upbeat corporate results and better-than-expected data on the housing market eased jitters about an economic slowdown.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> was up 96.84 points, or 0.78 percent, at 12,482.00. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> was up 8.96 points, or 0.69 percent, at 1,314.40. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> was up 31.56 points, or 1.14 percent, at 2,796.67.

(Reporting by Caroline Valetkevitch)