Stocks Opened Lower Before ECB Decision

U.S. stocks opened lower on Wednesday, ahead of an upcoming European Central Bank (ECB) meeting that could result in new stimulative measures. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lately dropped 35.19 points, or 0.20%, to 17,480.04. The S&P 500 was up 2.11 points, or 0.10%, to 2,024.66. The Nasdaq Composite was up 0.29 point, or 0.01%, to 4,655.13.

Netflix said yesterday that it will profitably reach all 200 of the countries that have broadband Internet service within two years. International subscriber growth outstripped gains in the U.S. for the third straight quarter, as Hastings raced to plant his flag before other would-be competitors. Users outside the U.S. expanded by a record 2.43 million in the fourth quarter, reaching 18.3 million.Netflix expects to add another 2.25 million international customers this quarter.

U.S. housing starts, as a whole, climbed 4.4% in December from a month earlier to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.089 million, the Commerce Department said Wednesday.