NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Stocks started higher Monday as oil fell below $60 a barrel for the first time in six months.

The Dow Jones industrial average and the Nasdaq composite index both rose about 0.4 percent in the opening minutes.

Oil prices fell on news that BP (Charts) moved up plans to restart production from the Prudhoe Bay field, as well as a report that Iran is prepared to talk about its nuclear program.

U.S. light crude sank 63 cents to $59.92 a barrel in electronic trading while in London, Brent crude fell 82 cents to $59.59. The last time oil dipped below $60 was March 21.

Stocks could take a hit from the latest reading of the slowdown in real estate, with home sales numbers due shortly after the market opens. Economists surveyed by Briefing.com forecast that sales of existing homes fell to an annual rate of 6.25 million in August from 6.33 million.

Elsewhere, Treasury bond prices rose further, pushing the 10-year note yield down to 4.57 percent from 4.58 percent late Friday.

The dollar rose versus the euro and the yen.

More tough sledding ahead?