S&P, Dow open higher as tax bill vote draws near

(Reuters) - The benchmark S&P 500 and the blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average opened higher on Tuesday amid rising hopes that the U.S. Congress will vote in favor of the proposed tax overhaul.

The Dow rose 49.61 points, or 0.2 percent, to 24,841.81, while the S&P gained 3.92 points, or 0.14 percent, to 2,694.08.

The Nasdaq Composite dropped 2.24 points, or 0.03 percent, to 6,992.52, weighed down by Apple.

(Reporting by Sruthi Shankar in Bengaluru; Editing by Savio D'Souza)