Stocks Traded Slightly Lower at Open

U.S. stocks opened lower on Wednesday as investors awaited minutes from a gathering of the Federal Open Market Committee earlier this month that might offer fresh insights about monetary policy. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lately fell 21.99 points, or 0.09%, to 25,800.30. The S&P 500 dipped 3.89 points, or 0.14%, to 2,859.07. The Nasdaq Composite was down 2.12 points, or 0.03%, to 7,857.06.

Crude-oil futures on Wednesday traded sharply higher after data showed a sharper-than-expected decline in U.S. crude inventories, supporting a run of price gains. West Texas Intermediate oil for October delivery was $1.12 cents, or 1.7%, higher at $66.96 a barrel. Brent crude contract traded $1.27, or 1.8%, higher at $73.90 a barrel.

Target Corp’s (TGT) second-quarter sales and profit beat estimates on Wednesday, helped by strong online sales and higher customer visits that grew the most in a decade. Second-quarter same-store sales at Target rose 4.9 percent. Excluding items, Target earned a profit of $1.47 per share in the quarter ended Aug. 4.