U.S. stocks opened modestly lower Tuesday after fresh data showed retail sales in April rose less than forecast. The Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA was down 0.4% soon after the opening bell, while the S&P 500 SPX slid 0.3% and the Nasdaq Composite COMP shed 0.3%, according to FactSet data, at last check. Sales at U.S. retailers increased 0.4% in April, according to a report Tuesday from the U.S. Census Bureau. Economists polled by The Wall Street Journal had forecast a 0.8% rise in retail sales.
Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.