Stocks Opened Lower as Growth Concerns Lingered

U.S. stocks opened lower on Friday, along with global stocks, as weak economic data from China and Europe stoked worries of sluggishness in global growth. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lately fell 195.68 points, or 0.80%, to 24,401.70. The S&P 500 declined 21.72 points, or 0.82%, to 2,628.82. The Nasdaq Composite shed 86.01 points, or 1.22%, to 6,984.33.

Oil prices eased slightly on Friday as a stronger dollar cut global demand for U.S.-priced commodities and a slide for the stock market sullied the risk-taking mood. West Texas Intermediate crude for January delivery slipped 11 cents, or 0.2%, at $52.51 a barrel. February Brent crude fell 20 cents, or 0.3%, at $61.25 a barrel.

China’s business activity mostly slowed in November, as industrial production and retail sales showed renewed weakness, while investment improved slightly, official data showed. Value-added industrial output in China rose 5.4% in November from a year earlier, slowing from a 5.9% on-year increase in October, the National Bureau of Statistics said Friday.

U.S. retail sales topped forecasts in November as a key measure jumped by the most in a year and October figures were revised higher. The value of overall sales rose 0.2 percent after a 1.1 percent increase the prior month, Commerce Department figures showed Friday.