U.S. stocks open higher as regional banks bounce, debt-ceiling talks in focus

U.S. stock indexes opened higher on Wednesday as investors hoped the White House and congressional leaders could come to a deal on the U.S. debt ceiling and avoid a cataclysmic default. Dow Jones Industrial Average
DJIA,
+1.24%
was up 132 points, or 0.4%, to 33,146. The S&P 500
SPX,
+1.19%
gained 0.5%, and the Nasdaq Composite
COMP,
+1.28%
rose 0.4%. Regional bank shares also jumped on Wednesday morning. Western Alliance Bancorp stock
WAL,
+10.19%
rallied 12.1% at the open after the lender said its deposits have grown by $2 billion during the second quarter. Other bank stocks that have been under pressure since the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank in March also regained their footing. The Invesco KBW Regional Banking ETF
KBWR,
+7.17%
advanced 2.1%.