US stocks opened lower today as investors digested the latest round of earnings, including reports from IBM and Intel.
Both Intel Corp and International Business Machines Corp fell a day after reporting results. IBM lost 1.9 percent to $203.41 and Intel was off 2.7 percent to $27.70.
The Dow Jones industrial average was down 69.17 points, or 0.53 percent, at 13,046.37. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index was down 5.74 points, or 0.41 percent, at 1,385.04. The Nasdaq Composite Index was down 10.55 points, or 0.35 percent, at 3,032.27.
European shares drifted lower too as losses in utilities, led by Iberdrola after ACS sold a stake, outweighed strength in miners spurred by a BHP Billiton production report.
The FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European shares was down 0.2 percent at 1,050.77 points after surging 2 percent yesterday following firm demand at Spanish short-term debt sales.
In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei index rallied 2.1 percent today on robust US corporate earnings, firm demand for Spanish debt and an upbeat German economic sentiment survey, with signals that the Bank of Japan may take more easing steps also providing momentum.
The Nikkei closed 202.55 points higher at 9,667.26, breaking above its 13-week moving average near 9,583, after falling below the psychologically key 9,500 mark yesterday. The broader Topix advanced 2 percent to 819.27.
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