U.S. Stocks Open Flat As Geopolitical Caution Remains Elevated

U.S. stocks opened flat on Monday, suggesting investors were reluctant to jump into the markets even after two straight days of declines as geopolitical tensions remained high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 7 points to 21,667. The S&P 500 was down half a point to 2,425. The Nasdaq Composite Index was up less than one point to 6,217. A new cycle of escalation near the Korean Peninsula looked set to begin as the U.S. and South Korea on Monday kicked off annual military exercises that have a history of enraging North Korea. Tensions between the country and the U.S. have weighed on markets in recent weeks, and there may be few other catalysts for investors to trade on ahead of the Kansas City Federal Reserve's symposium in Jackson Hole, Wyo. In company news, Sempra Energy rose 0.3% on news it had reached a deal to buy Oncor for $9.45 billion.