(Reuters) - U.S. stocks were little changed at the open on Tuesday after the European Central Bank hinted it would accelerate its bond-buying program for the next two months.
Data showed U.S. housing starts jumped to their highest level in nearly 7-1/2 years in April and permits soared, offering hope for an economy struggling to regain momentum.
The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> rose 12.68 points, or 0.07 percent, to 18,311.56, the S&P 500 <.SPX> gained 1.2 points, or 0.06 percent, to 2,130.4 and the Nasdaq Composite <.IXIC> added 8.57 points, or 0.17 percent, to 5,087.01.
(Reporting by Narottam Medhora in Bengaluru; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty)
