Investing.com - U.S. stocks opened lower on Wednesday, after the release of mixed earnings reports and as investors locked in profits after the release of downbeat U.S. employment data boosted U.S. equities on Tuesday.
During early U.S. trade, the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.26%, the S&P 500 index shed 0.32%, while the Nasdaq Composite index declined 0.33%.
The Department of Labor said the U.S. economy added 148,000 jobs in September, well below expectations for an increase of 180,000.
The U.S. unemployment rate ticked down to a four-and-a-half year low of 7.2% from 7.3% in August, but this was partially due to more people dropping out of the labor force.
The jobs report was released 18 days behind schedule due to disruption caused by the U.S. government shutdown.
Among earnings, Caterpillar missed market expectations and slashed its full-year revenue guidance, sending shares down 5.71%. CEO Doug Olberhelman called this year "difficult," especially in Caterpillar's mining-related business.
Meanwhile, Boeing surged 5% after the jet maker posted quarterly results that exceeded expectations and raised its full-year outlook. The company also lifted its production scheduled for the Dreamliner to 12 units per month from 10 by 2016.
Adding to gains, Apple climbed 0.80% a day after unveiling new versions of its full-sized iPad, called iPad Air, and iPad Mini in time for the holiday season.
The company also said a new version of its computer operating system, OS X Mavericks, would be available for existing customers to download free immediately.
Separately, rivals Nokia and Microsoft each unveiled tablet devices, ahead of Apple's event on Tuesday. Nokia presented its first-ever tablet, the Lumia 2520 in Abu Dhabi, while Microsoft started selling its new Surface 2 tablet in the U.S. starting midnight.
Microsoft shares were down 1.07% at the open of the U.S. trading session.
Elsewhere, Twitter Inc. announced that it obtained a USD1 billion credit facility this month, tracking other social media companies in accessing the debt market tied to an initial public offering.
Other stocks likely to be in focus included AT&T, scheduled to report quarterly earnings later in the day.
Across the Atlantic, European stock markets were lower. The EURO STOXX 50 dropped 0.69%, France’s CAC 40 declined 0.72%, Germany's DAX slipped 0.21%, while Britain's FTSE 100 shed 0.31%.
During the Asian trading session, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index tumbled 1.36%, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 Index plummeted 1.95%.
During early U.S. trade, the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.26%, the S&P 500 index shed 0.32%, while the Nasdaq Composite index declined 0.33%.
The Department of Labor said the U.S. economy added 148,000 jobs in September, well below expectations for an increase of 180,000.
The U.S. unemployment rate ticked down to a four-and-a-half year low of 7.2% from 7.3% in August, but this was partially due to more people dropping out of the labor force.
The jobs report was released 18 days behind schedule due to disruption caused by the U.S. government shutdown.
Among earnings, Caterpillar missed market expectations and slashed its full-year revenue guidance, sending shares down 5.71%. CEO Doug Olberhelman called this year "difficult," especially in Caterpillar's mining-related business.
Meanwhile, Boeing surged 5% after the jet maker posted quarterly results that exceeded expectations and raised its full-year outlook. The company also lifted its production scheduled for the Dreamliner to 12 units per month from 10 by 2016.
Adding to gains, Apple climbed 0.80% a day after unveiling new versions of its full-sized iPad, called iPad Air, and iPad Mini in time for the holiday season.
The company also said a new version of its computer operating system, OS X Mavericks, would be available for existing customers to download free immediately.
Separately, rivals Nokia and Microsoft each unveiled tablet devices, ahead of Apple's event on Tuesday. Nokia presented its first-ever tablet, the Lumia 2520 in Abu Dhabi, while Microsoft started selling its new Surface 2 tablet in the U.S. starting midnight.
Microsoft shares were down 1.07% at the open of the U.S. trading session.
Elsewhere, Twitter Inc. announced that it obtained a USD1 billion credit facility this month, tracking other social media companies in accessing the debt market tied to an initial public offering.
Other stocks likely to be in focus included AT&T, scheduled to report quarterly earnings later in the day.
Across the Atlantic, European stock markets were lower. The EURO STOXX 50 dropped 0.69%, France’s CAC 40 declined 0.72%, Germany's DAX slipped 0.21%, while Britain's FTSE 100 shed 0.31%.
During the Asian trading session, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index tumbled 1.36%, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 Index plummeted 1.95%.