U.S. Stocks Open Lower On Continued Geopolitical Uncertainty

U.S. stocks opened lower on Thursday, suggesting indexes could undergo their third straight daily decline as tensions between the U.S. and North Korea remained elevated. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.3% to 21,973. The S&P 500 slid 0.4% to 2,464. The Nasdaq Composite Index was down 0.6% to 6,311. Major indexes continue to trade near record levels, though recent moves in equity markets have been slight, suggesting few catalysts to push shares sharply higher from current levels. Meanwhile, an extended period of geopolitical uncertainty could encourage traders to pare back their equity positions in light of the recent downtrend and concerns that stock valuations are still too lofty. Such a dynamic might amplify selling pressure on stocks. In company news, Macy's Inc. fell 2.3% after its results, while Blue Apron tumbled 15% in the wake of its own results.