Stocks Opened Lower as Trade Jitters Weighed

U.S. stocks opened lower on Tuesday, weighed down by fears over the escalating trade spat between the United States and China. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lately fell 23.11 points, or 0.09%, to 25,833.96. The S&P 500 was down 2.23 points, or 0.08%, to 2,874.90. The Nasdaq Composite was up 6.52 points, or 0.08%, to 7,930.68.

Oil futures edged higher Tuesday, as traders looked for renewed sanctions on Iran to weigh on supply and awaited weekly U.S. supply data. October futures on West Texas Intermediate crude rose 19 cents, or 0.3%, to $67.73 a barrel. November Brent crude was up 50 cents, or 0.6%, to $77.87 a barrel.

China is seeking permission from the World Trade Organization for permission to impose trade sanctions on the U.S., Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing a published agenda of the WTO. That agenda shows a meeting scheduled for Sept. 21 of the WTO’s dispute settlement body.