S&P 500 Index opens modestly higher above 3,400

• Wall Street's main indexes started the day little changed.
• Energy shares continue to push higher on rising crude oil prices.
• Investors wait for fresh developments regarding stimulus negotiations.

After registering strong gains on Monday, major equity indexes in the US opened little changed on Tuesday as investors seem to be refraining from making large bets while waiting for fresh developments surrounding stimulus negotiations.

As of writing, the S&P 500 was posting small gains on the day at 3,410, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was gaining 0.07% at 28,167 and the Nasdaq Composite was down 0.14% at 11,316.

For the second straight day, the S&P 500 Energy Index is the best-performing major sector after the opening bell, gaining nearly 2% on a daily basis supported by rising crude oil prices. At the moment, the barrel of West Texas Intermediate is up more than 3% at $40.60. On the other hand, the defensive Real Estate Index is down around 0.5%.

Later in the session, FOMC Chairman Jerome Powell will deliver a speech on the economy at an event organized by the National Association of Business Economists.

S&P 500 chart (daily)