US markets edge higher; Home Depot slips

U.S. stocks are opening mostly higher after some encouraging news from Japan and Germany.

Japanese markets rose after the country decided to postpone a sales tax increase, and a measure of investor sentiment in Germany rose after 10 months of declines.

In the U.S., the Standard & Poor’s 500 index rose three points, or 0.2 percent, to 2,044 as of 9:35 a.m. Eastern time Tuesday.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 13 points, or 0.1 percent, to 17,660.

The Nasdaq composite rose 12 points, or 0.3 percent, to 4,683.

Home Depot fell 1 percent after earnings at the nation’s biggest home improvement retailer came in just shy of analysts’ forecasts.

The price of oil fell 61 cents to $75.03 a barrel in New York.