Stocks Opened Higher; US Retail Sales Rose

U.S. stocks opened higher on Tuesday as tensions between the U.S. and North Korea appeared to recede and as a spate of economic reports came in better than expected. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lately advanced 11.96 points, or 0.05%, to 22,005.67. The S&P 500 climbed 0.13 point, or 0.01%, to 2,465.97. The Nasdaq Composite was down 5.76 oints, or 0.09%, to 6,334.47.

U.S. retail sales recorded their biggest increase in seven months in July as consumers boosted purchases of motor vehicles and lifted discretionary spending, suggesting the economy continued to gain momentum early in the third quarter. The Commerce Department said on Tuesday that retail sales jumped 0.6 percent last month, the largest gain since December 2016.