US stocks open higher with volatility declining

By Ovunc Kutlu

ANKARA (AA) - US stocks opened in higher territory Tuesday, recovering from high volatility in the previous session.

The Dow Jones was up 145 points to $31,105 points at 9.33 a.m. EDT (1433GMT) while the S&P 500 rose 12 to a new record of 3,868.

The Nasdaq increased 50 points to 13,686 with Twitter and Moderna gaining 2% on the tech-heavy index.

S&P 500 VIX index was up 21.5% Monday to 26.63 at one point -- a level last seen when former US President Donald Trump's supporters stormed the Capitol building Jan. 6.

VIX, also known as the fear index that shows volatility, was down almost 2% to 22.5 shortly after markets opened, providing investors more confidence despite global economic uncertainty caused by rising coronavirus cases.

Shares of General Electric soared 7% after the company said it projects generating $2.5-$4.5 billion in industrial free cash flow in 2021.

Johnson & Johnson saw shares climb nearly 4% after announcing that phase 3 trial results of its coronavirus vaccine would be released next week.