Major US stock indices opened higher Tuesday.

The Dow Jones industrial average jumped 97 points, or 0.27%, to open at 36,400.

The S&P 500 rose 6 points, or 0.12%, to 4,795.

The Nasdaq was flat at 15,870.

The VIX volatility index, however, was up 3.7% to 18.63.

The dollar index rose 0.04% to 96.13, but the yield on 10-year US Treasury notes fell 1.5% to 1.459%.

Precious metals were up, with gold adding 0.1% to $1,812 per ounce and silver increasing 0.7% to $23.23.

Crude prices were up, with Brent crude trading at $78.69 per barrel with a 0.6% gain. US benchmark West Texas Intermediate rose 0.7% to $76.09./agencies