U.S. stocks rose Tuesday after a sluggish start. A surge in Home Depot's stock lifted the Dow Jones industrial average.

Major indexes had opened lower after European leaders postponed the latest aid package for Greece. The Dow turned positive in the first hour of trading and rose solidly through the morning.

The Dow was up 56 points at 12,870 shortly after noon Eastern time. About a third of the gain was attributable to Home Depot, which soared 4 percent after delivering a strong earnings report that beat analysts' expectations. Home Depot added $2.45 to $63.61.