US stock market opens higher

NEW YORK (AA) - The stock market opened higher on Tuesday ahead of the Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen's testimony in the Senate.

The Dow Jones rose 45 points to start the day at 17,849 points. The S&P 500 was up 4 points to open at 2,088, while the Nasdaq gained 9 points to begin the day at 4,846.

The market has now focused on Fed Chair Yellen's semi-annual testimony at the Senate's Banking Committee.

In her previous speech in front of the Committee on February, Yellen had said financial conditions are less supportive for domestic economic growth.

Meanwhile, oil prices were in decline at the stock market opening on Tuesday.

At the opening bell, American benchmark West Texas Intermediate was trading at $49.11 per barrel with a 1.7 percent decrease, and international benchmark Brent crude was at $49.73 a barrel with a 1.8 percent loss.