Stocks Opened Lower as Oil Eyed

U.S. stock opened slightly lower on Tuesday, as a decline in oil prices weighed on energy stocks. The Dow Jones industrial average lately fell 28.54 points, or 0.16%, to 18,009.69, the S&P 500 lost 3.99 points, or 0.19%, to 2,086.58. The Nasdaq Composite dropped 5.62 points, or 0.12%, to 4,801.29.

Oil traded near the lowest since 2009 amid speculation that U.S. crude inventories will stay at the highest for the time of year in at least three decades. West Texas Intermediate fell as much as 1.7 percent before erasing losses.

Home prices in 20 U.S. cities rose at a slower pace in the year ended in October, putting the market on better footing heading into 2015. The S&P/Case-Shiller index of property values increased 4.5 percent from October 2013, the smallest gain in two years.