NEW YORK, Sept. 11 (UPI) -- U.S. stock indexes rose Tuesday morning after the Commerce Department said the U.S. trade deficit was essentially unchanged June to July.
With $1.9 billion less exports in July from June and $1.8 billion less imports, the deficit came to $42 billion following a revised figure for June of $41.9 billion.
Investors are anticipating a Federal Reserve announcement on Thursday concerning a third round of quantitative easing.
Paradoxically, until Thursday weak economic data can be viewed as a reason for the Fed to act on the stimulus program, while positive data would decrease the Fed's chance of approving what is called QE3.
In midmorning trading on on Wall Street, the Dow Jones industrial average gained 84.22 points, or 0.64 percent, to 13,338.51. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite index added 9.74 points, or 0.31 percent, to 3,113.76. The Standard and Poor's 500 added 6.67 points, or 0.47 percent, to 1,435.75.
The benchmark 10-year treasury fell 11/32 to yield 1.695 percent.
The euro rose to $1.2844 from Monday's $1.2759. Against the yen, the dollar fell to 77.80 yen from 78.28 yen.
In Tokyo, the Nikkei 255 index shed 0.7 percent, 61.99 points, to 8,807.38.
