NEW YORK, Aug 31 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks opened lower on Tuesday as housing data failed to counter pessimism about the economy, while energy shares fell alongside the price of oil.
* The Dow Jones industrial average slipped 34.44 points, or 0.34 percent, to 9,975.29. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index fell 3.75 points, or 0.36 percent, to 1,045.17. The Nasdaq Composite Index gave up 9.31 points, or 0.44 percent, at 2,110.66.