S&P 500, Dow extend gains as stocks open higher

U.S. equity markets opened slightly higher on Tuesday, extending sharp gains from the previous session, as concerns about global trade policy continued to fade. The Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA, +0.17% rose 54 points, or 0.2%, to 24,260. The S&P 500 index SPX, -0.09% gained 5 points, or 0.2% to 2,663. Meanwhile the Nasdaq Composite COMP, -0.26% advanced 25 points, or 0.3% to 7,244. Among the best performers on the S&P 500, Red Hat Inc.'s stock RHT, +4.34% jumped after the software company posted better-than-expected quarterly results late Monday.