U.S. Stocks Open Higher, Boosted By Oil Jump, Car Sales, Deal News

U.S. stocks opened higher on Tuesday, building on solid gains from the previous session on rising oil prices, upbeat car sales numbers and mergers and acquisition activity. Positive developments regarding Greece's debt negotiations also boosted confidence. Reports of merger talks between Office Depot and Staples sent their shares soaring. Meanwhile, lower gasoline prices spurred sales of trucks and SUVs in January. The S&P 500 opened 16 points, or 0.8%, higher at 2,037. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 160 points, or 0.9%, to 17,516. The Nasdaq Composite began the day up 30 points, or 0.6%, at 4,705.