By Polya Lesova, MarketWatch

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- U.S. stocks rose Tuesday, as investors appeared optimistic about March car-sales data and an expected rebound in February factory orders.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) gained 58.18, or 0.4%, to 14,630, led by health insurer UnitedHealth Group Inc. (UNH), which rallied 7%.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced after the closing bell Monday that they will be boosting Medicare Advantage reimbursement rates, rather than cutting them as initially proposed.

Word of the ruling had apparently leaked ahead of the closing bell, however, as shares of Humana Inc. (HUM) and others started to soar in late action. Humana shares rose 9% on Tuesday.

The S&P 500 index (SPX) climbed 7.1 points, or 0.5%, to 1,569.31.

The Nasdaq Composite index (RIXF) rose 22.34 points, or 0.7%, to 3,261.64.

"Despite some weak manufacturing data from the U.S., equities are attracting some investors this morning as we get [the second quarter] under way," said Mike McCudden, head of derivatives at stockbroker Interactive Investor in London. "We do, however, expect shares to wax and wane throughout the remainder of the week as investors grow nervous in the run up to the U.S. jobs number on Friday," he said.

Wall Street saw pressure Monday after the Institute for Supply Management's factory index unexpectedly declined in March, although it remained in positive territory.

While jobs data due Friday will be the main event of the week, investors may take some cues from the data calendar on Tuesday, strategists said.

Factory orders likely rebounded by 3% in February after a 2% January drop, according to economists surveyed by MarketWatch. Data are due at 10 a.m. Eastern.

Car makers stole the spotlight as they reported March sales figures. Edmunds.com raised its 2013 forecast for U.S. light vehicle sales to 15.5 million, signaling optimism about the industry.

Ford Motor Co. (F) said its U.S. sales rose 5.7% in March and Chrysler Group LLC, which is owned by Italy's Fiat SpA , said its U.S. sales climbed 5% in March from the same period a year ago, marking the best monthly sales since December 2007.

General Motors Co. (GM.XX) is also among firms due to report sales.

Shares of interdealer broker BGC Partners Inc. (BGCP) soared nearly 39% in premarket action after Nasdaq OMX Group Inc. (NDAQ) agreed to acquire the firm's electronic Treasurys marketplace in a cash-and-stock deal valued at as much as $1.23 billion.

European equities traded higher, with the Stoxx 600 Europe index rising 1%, shaking off data that showed the number of unemployed people in the euro zone hit a record in February, while a final euro-zone manufacturing purchasing managers' index confirmed the sector's downturn deepened in March.

Shares of Apple Inc. (AAPL) gained 0.9%. Analysts at Goldman Sachs removed the stock from their U.S. conviction list, but maintained a buy rating on the consumer-electronics maker. Apple shares sank Monday as the company apologized after coming under criticism in China for customer-service policies.

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(END) Dow Jones Newswires

04-02-13 0953ET