Stocks Opened Mixed as Investors Digested New Round of Earnings

U.S. stocks opened mixed on Wednesday, as fresh earnings numbers helped buoy confidence and overshadow concerns about rising interest rates and signs of a global economic slowdown. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lately rose 38.29 points, or 0.15%, to 25,229.72. The S&P 500 lost 5.34 points, or 0.19%, to 2,735.35. The Nasdaq Composite declined 26.45 points, or 0.36%, to 7,411.09.

Oil-market bulls attempted to stop the bleeding Wednesday, a day after the U.S. benchmark posted its lowest finish in more than two months. December West Texas Intermediate crude rose 19 cents, or 0.3%, to $66.62 a barrel. December Brent crude was off 39 cents, or 0.5%, to $76.05 a barrel.

Boeing Co. (BA) reported third-quarter earnings and revenue that beat expectations and raised the full-year outlook. Net earnings rose to $2.36 billion, or $4.07 a share, from $1.81 billion, or $2.99 a share, in the same period a year ago. Revenue grew 4% to $25.15 billion
Burger King parent company Restaurant Brands International (QSR) reported that the third quarter earnings were weaker than expected, and sales were a little light. Earnings came weaker-than-expected at 63 cents per share versus Wall Street’s estimate of 65 cents per share.

United Parcel Service Inc’s domestic business helped fuel a 20 percent rise in quarterly profit on Wednesday. Net income rose to $1.51 billion, or $1.73 per share. Total revenue rose 8 percent to $17.44 billion.