U.S. markets headed higher Tuesday as tension in Greece mounted over a critical budget vote scheduled for Wednesday, UPI reported. Greek unions called for a two-day strike to protest the austerity measures that the European Union says are necessary to continue with Greece's international bailout loans. Equities in New York followed Asian and European stocks higher. In a closely-watched report, the S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index showed home prices in April rose from a month ago, although prices in a 20-city index are 4 percent lower than a year earlier. In early afternoon trading on Wall Street, the Dow Jones industrial average added to Monday's gains, rising 123.63 points, or 1.02 percent, to 12,166.63. The Standard & Poor's 500 index added 1.12 percent, 14.39 points, to 1,294.49. The Nasdaq composite index gained 1.33 percent, 35.64, to 2,723.92. The benchmark 10-year treasury note lost 1 0/32 to yield 3.051 percent. The euro rose to $1.4359 from Monday's $1.4286. Against the yen, the dollar rose to 81.21 yen from Monday's 80.90 yen. In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 index added 0.74 percent, 70.67, to 9,648.98. In London, the FTSE 100 index gained 0.78 percent, 44.54, to 5,766.88.
