US stocks opened mixed on economic uncertainty

US stocks opened mixed on economic uncertainty
PHOTO: US stocks opened mixed on economic uncertainty

NEW YORK - US stocks opened mixed Thursday, as a batch of solid corporate earnings competed with gloomy trends in key commodity markets.

Five minutes into trading the Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 17.90 (0.12 per cent) to 14,600.69.

The broad-based S&P 500 added 0.16 (0.01 per cent) to 1,552.17, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index rose 1.32 (0.04 per cent) to 3,205.99.

The mixed results came on the heels of Wednesday's sharp losses that followed weak earnings reports and dreary economic sentiment in Europe.

Markets are troubled by the "pummeling" that copper and other commodities have taken in recent days, said Briefing.com analyst Patrick O'Hare.

The drop in base metals "has raised a number of flags as it pertains to the growth outlook," O'Hare said. "Also, burgeoning concerns about the goings-on in China and renewed concerns about the state of the eurozone are acting as headwinds."

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