Stocks Opened Mostly Higher, Oil Prices Jumped

U.S. stocks opened mostly higher on Tuesday as the Federal Reserve looks to start its two-day policy meeting. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lately advanced94.13 points, or 0.39%, to 24,480.16. The S&P 500 was up 0.74 points, or 0.03%, to 2,660.73. The Nasdaq Composite fell 9.56 points, or 0.14%, to 6,865.52.

Brent crude, the global benchmark, rallied on Tuesday to another 2½-year high as news of a major North Sea oil pipeline shutdown continued to resonate in the market. February Brent climbed 78 cents, or 1.1%, to $65.47 a barrel, touching levels not seen since mid-2015. West Texas Intermediate crude added 46 cents, or 0.8%, to $58.45 a barrel.

Prices at the wholesale level rose 0.4 percent in November and 3.1 percent over the past year. It was the biggest annual jump in nearly six years and reflected a big spike in the price of gasoline and other energy products.

France’s Unibail-Rodamco has agreed to buy shopping mall owner Westfield Corp for $15.7 billion, in what would be the biggest takeover of an Australian company on record.