U.S. Stocks Open Slightly Lower After Mixed Data

U.S. stocks opened marginally lower on Thursday, as investors turned cautions after mixed labor-market data and poor numbers from retailers. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was off by 16 points or 0.1%, at 19,922. The index struggled to pass through the psychologically important 20,000 level for weeks. The S&P 500 declined 2 points, or 0.1%, to 2,268, hovering near its all-time high set in December. The Nasdaq Composite began the session down 3 points, or 0.1%, at 5,473.