Before the bell: Stocks look to start March with gains

U.S. stocks were poised to open higher Tuesday, extending gains from the previous session, as concerns about the Libya situation eased.
Despite a slight step back last week, stocks closed out February on an upbeat note - posting their third straight month of gains.
Overall, all three major indexes were up nearly 3% during the month, and have risen more than 5% since the beginning of the year.

Meanwhile, investors are looking ahead to the government's monthly payroll report on Friday, which will reveal how many jobs were created in February.
Economy: The Institute for Supply Management will release its manufacturing index at 15:00 GMT. It's expected to fall slightly to 60.5, which would still indicate expansion in the sector.
Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke is due to give his semi-annual testimony on monetary policy to the Senate Banking Committee.
Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner is scheduled to testify before the House Financial Services Committee on the administration's plan for reforming America's housing finance market.
Companies: Ford (F, Fortune 500), General Motors (GM), Toyota (TM) and other automakers release their February sales figures starting at around 10:45 a.m. ET.