Stocks Opened Little Changed, Oil Futures Headed Lower

U.S. stocks traded near unchanged at open on Wednesday as tensions appeared to flare again between the US and China. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lately was up 2.79 points, or 0.01%, to 26,843.19. The S&P 500 added 1.25 points, or 0.04%, to 3,258.55. The Nasdaq Composite gained 14.04 pointsd, or 0.13%, to 10,694.40.

Oil futures headed lower early Wednesday, on a report showing U.S. energy stock piles rose more than than expected. September WTI crude was 63 cents, or 1.5%, lower at $41.29 a barrel. September Brent crude gave up 55 cents, or 1.3%, $43.76 a barrel.

China on Wednesday condemned the US decision to order the closure of China’s consulate in Houston, which the US State Department said was a move to “protect American intellectual property and American’s private information,” a State Department spokesperson said in a statement to multiple media outlets.