Investing.com – U.S. stocks were lower after the open on Tuesday, after worse-than-expected data showed that U.S. consumer confidence fell to its lowest level since February.
During early U.S. trade, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 0.05%; the S&P 500 index shed 0.18%, while the Nasdaq Composite index declined 0.34%.
Earlier in the day, data showed that the Conference Board's index of U.S. consumer confidence fell to 48.5 in September after rising to a revised 53.2 in August. Analysts had expected the index to decline to 52.9 in September.
Following the news, shares in retail giants Wal-Mart Stores were down 0.17%, McDonalds stocks declined 0.37% and Kraft Foods tumbled 1.45%.
Elsewhere, technology sector stocks posted sharp declines, as Cisco Systems fell 1.67%, Apple Computer stocks were down 1.45%, while shares in Google decreased 1.43%.
Financial sector stocks were also pressured lower, as shares in global financial firm Goldman Sachs were down 0.60%, JP Morgan Chase fell 0.46% and Bank of America stocks declined 0.30%.
Meanwhile, shares in Research In Motion tumbled 3.93%, after the smart-phone manufacturer unveiled a touch-screen tablet device called the BlackBerry PlayBook earlier Tuesday.
On the corporate front, shares in retail drugstore chain Walgreen Company soared 8.86%, after the company reported higher-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings.
Across the Atlantic, European stock markets were down: France’s CAC 40 shed 0.53%; Germany's DAX declined 0.42%; Britain's FTSE 100 fell 0.31%; and the EURO STOXX 50 was down 0.48%.
Earlier in the day, market research group Gfk said its index of Germany's consumer climate rose more-than-expected in September, climbing to its highest level since October 2007.
During early U.S. trade, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 0.05%; the S&P 500 index shed 0.18%, while the Nasdaq Composite index declined 0.34%.
Earlier in the day, data showed that the Conference Board's index of U.S. consumer confidence fell to 48.5 in September after rising to a revised 53.2 in August. Analysts had expected the index to decline to 52.9 in September.
Following the news, shares in retail giants Wal-Mart Stores were down 0.17%, McDonalds stocks declined 0.37% and Kraft Foods tumbled 1.45%.
Elsewhere, technology sector stocks posted sharp declines, as Cisco Systems fell 1.67%, Apple Computer stocks were down 1.45%, while shares in Google decreased 1.43%.
Financial sector stocks were also pressured lower, as shares in global financial firm Goldman Sachs were down 0.60%, JP Morgan Chase fell 0.46% and Bank of America stocks declined 0.30%.
Meanwhile, shares in Research In Motion tumbled 3.93%, after the smart-phone manufacturer unveiled a touch-screen tablet device called the BlackBerry PlayBook earlier Tuesday.
On the corporate front, shares in retail drugstore chain Walgreen Company soared 8.86%, after the company reported higher-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings.
Across the Atlantic, European stock markets were down: France’s CAC 40 shed 0.53%; Germany's DAX declined 0.42%; Britain's FTSE 100 fell 0.31%; and the EURO STOXX 50 was down 0.48%.
Earlier in the day, market research group Gfk said its index of Germany's consumer climate rose more-than-expected in September, climbing to its highest level since October 2007.