U.S. Stocks Open Lower As Investors Worry About Fed Rate Hike

U.S. stocks opened lower on Thursday as investors worried that a batch of strong U.S. data could encourage Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen to raise interest rates sooner than previously expected. Stocks added to losses from the prior session, with the S&P 500 index shedding 2 points, or 0.1%, to 2,172. The Dow industrials fell 20 points, or 0.1%, to 18,463, trading below its lowest closing level since early August. The Nasdaq Composite Index fell 9 points, or 0.2%, to 5,208.