Stocks Opened Little Changed, Dow at Record

U.S. stocks opened little unchanged on Friday, with the Dow inched up to hit a record high, as investors shrugged off North Korea’s latest missile test and slightly tepid economic data. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lately added 32.29 points, or 0.15%, to 22,235.77. The S&P 500 was off 0.20 point, or 0.01%, to 2,495.42. The Nasdaq Composite was down 0.34 point, or 0.01%, to 6,428.75.

Oil futures regained their footing after dipping early Friday, with the U.S. benchmark pushing back above $50 a barrel and heading for its biggest weekly gain since late July. October Nymex light, sweet crude rose 18 cents, or 0.4%, to $50.07 a barrel. Brent futures rose 23 cents, or 0.4%, to $55.70 a barrel.

U.S. retail sales unexpectedly fell in August, likely hurt by the impact of Hurricane Harvey on motor vehicle purchases, suggesting a moderation in consumer spending in the third quarter. The Commerce Department said on Friday retail sales dropped 0.2 percent last month, the biggest decline in six months.