Stocks rose for a third day Tuesday, with the Dow and S&P 500 ending just below 14-month highs, after two economic reports continued to fuel optimism about the economy in a thin trading session.

U.S. stocks were poised to open little changed Tuesday, as investors braced for a barrage of economic reports.

Investors will brace for a spate of economic reports this week with their fingers crossed that there is more good news than bad since that will set the tone for the remaining seven weeks of the year.