New York, Apr 01: Stocks ticked higher at Tuesday's open, stabilizing after a tumble in the prior session, but worries about a protracted war with Iraq and its potential economic impact may keep gains in check. Upbeat corporate news from American Airlines, which narrowly avoided bankruptcy, and others helped underpin the market. Investors were nibbling at battered shares as they faced up to the idea of a potentially lengthy conflict in Iraq. The Dow Jones industrial average .DJI inched up 16.47 points, or 0.21 percent, to 8,008.60, while the broader Standard & Poor's 500 Index .SPX rose 1.67 points, or 0.2 percent, to 849.85. The technology-laced Nasdaq Composite Index .IXIC gained 3.07 points, or 0.23 percent, to 1,344.24. The mood was tempered, however, by a batch of profit warnings from corporate America, including Best Buy Co. Inc. BBY.N and Pier 1 Imports Inc. PIR.N The market could take its early cues from reports on U.S. manufacturing activity from the Institute of Supply Management and construction spending, both due at 10 a.m. as investors search for clues to the health of the world's biggest economy. Bureau Report