U.S. Stocks Open Lower; Retail Sales Disappoint

U.S. stocks opened lower on Friday with the main benchmarks on track to record their first weekly loss in seven weeks. Weak earnings results and downbeat outlooks from retailers weighed on sentiment, while weaker-than-expected retail sales added to selling pressure. The S&P 500 opened 5 points, or 0.2%, lower at 2,041. The Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 42 points, or 0.2%, to 17,412. The Nasdaq Composite began the day down 19 points, or 0.4%, at 4,986.