"If Geithner does not get approved, then the market will have a big sell off and bonds will rally," said Tom Sowanick, chief investment officer for $22 billion in assets at Clearbrook Financial LLC in Princeton in New Jersey.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> was up 4.70 points, or 0.06 percent, at 7,953.79. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> was higher by 1.56 points, or 0.19 percent, at 806.78. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> was up 8.03 points, or 0.56 percent, at 1,448.89.

(Reporting by Leah Schnurr, Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)