NEW YORK, March 3 (Xinhua) -- U.S. stocks opened higher on Tuesday after the previous trading session's heavy sell-off attracted some bargain hunters.

Shares tumbled to a 12-year low on Monday with the Dow Jones average dropping below 6,800, the lowest close since April 1997, and the Standard & Poor's 500 barely stood above 700, the lowest since December 1996.

Investors are waiting for the January home sales report and the February vehicle sales data, which are scheduled to be released later on Tuesday.

In corporate earnings, auto parts retailer Auto Zone Inc.'s quarterly profit beat analysts' expectations, while bond insurer MBIA Inc. and media company E.W. Scripps Co. posted losses.

The Dow Jones rose 60.06 points, or 0.89 percent, to 6,823.35. Broader indexes also moved higher. The Standard & Poor's 500 index climbed 8.16 points, or 1.66 percent, to 708.98. The Nasdaq composite index added 14.45 points, or 1.09 percent, to 1,337.30.

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