Stocks Opened Lower as U.S.-China Trade Worries Returned to Focus

U.S. stocks opened lower on Monday, as investors worried about intensifying trade clashes with China. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lately fell 32.41 points, or 0.12%, to 26,122.26. The S&P 500 was down 5.59 points, or 0.19%, to 2,899.39. The Nasdaq Composite dropped 51.96 points, or 0.65%, to 7,958.08.

Oil futures traded higher on Monday, extending the recent uptrend for the U.S. and international contracts as the threat of disruptions to supply gave crude values a lift. October futures on West Texas Intermediate crude rose by 56 cents, or 0.8%, to $69.54 a barrel. November Brent added 63 cents, or 0.8%, to trade at $78.72 a barrel.

The Chinese government may decline to participate in proposed trade talks with the United States later this month if the Trump administration moves forward with additional tariffs on imported Chinese goods, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday.