Wall St opens higher on Fed hopes

The Dow Jones industrial average was up 54 points at 12,796

U.S. stocks opened higher on Tuesday, putting the S&P 500 on pace for its fourth straight daily gain on increased hopes for central bank stimulus measures ahead of the Federal Reserve's policy meeting.

The Dow Jones industrial average was up 54.19 points, or 0.43 percent, at 12,796.01. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index was up 6.20 points, or 0.46 percent, at 1,350.98. The Nasdaq Composite Index was up 14.11 points, or 0.49 percent, at 2,909.44.