Stocks Opened Lower as Trade Worries Lingered

U.S. stocks opened lower on Wednesday, extending recent declines as trade tensions between the U.S. and China show no signs of easing. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lately fell 22.54 points, or 0.09%, to 25,942.55. The S&P 500 was off 2.89 points, or 0.10%, to 2,881.16. The Nasdaq Composite was down 5.38 points, or 0.07%, to 7,958.37.

U.S. crude-oil prices pushed slightly into positive territory early Wednesday, as increasing tensions between the U.S. and Iran and the threat of disruptions to supplies in the Middle East are weighed against worries that a protracted trade conflict between the U.S. and China could hurt energy demand. West Texas Intermediate crude for June delivery was up less than 0.1% at $61.43 a barrel. July Brent crude fell 12 cents, or 0.2% to $69.76 a barrel.

The United States will raise tariffs from 10 percent to 25 percent on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports effective Friday, according to a notice posted to the Federal Register on Wednesday.