Wall Street opens modestly higher as investors remain focused on reopening of economy

• US stocks rise modestly as investors remain cautiously optimistic.
• S&P 500 Materials Index is the top-gainer in the early trade. 

Wall Street's main indexes opened the day slightly higher on Tuesday as investors are waiting for Dr Anthony Fauci and other health officials to testify before the Senate Health Committee. 

Major sectors trade mixed

As of writing, the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 were up 0.55 and 0.2%, respectively, and the Nasdaq Composite, which closed last six days higher, was flat near 9,300 points.

Among the 11 major S&P 500 sectors, the Materials Index is up 0.75% as the top performer while the defensive Real Estate Index underperforms with a daily loss of nearly 1%.

Earlier in the day, Dallas Fed President Robert Kaplan voiced his opposition to the use of negative interest rates. In the meantime, St. Louis Federal Reserve President James Bullard argued that the economic shutdown cannot continue for too long.