US open: Stocks mixed as investors look ahead to inflation data

Wall Street trading got off to a mixed start on Tuesday as traders looked ahead to tomorrow's consumer price index reading.

As of 1550 BST, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.11% at 33,624.20, while the S&P 500 slipped 0.06% to 4,106.63 and the Nasdaq Composite came out the gate 0.53% weaker at 12,019.89.

The Dow opened 37.68 points higher on Tuesday, extending gains recorded in the previous session as market participants returned from the Easter Break in a more positive mood.

Investors seemed to be holding out for March's consumer and producer price indexes, due out on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively, with both inflation metrics likely to provide markets with further insight into what the Federal Reserve may look to do with its rate-hiking campaign going forward.

On the macro front for today, the National Federation of Independent Business' small business optimism index edged to a three-month low of 90.1 in March, down from 90.9 in February to mark the 15th straight month the index has sat below its 49-year average of 98.

Also drawing an amount of investor attention, the US will soon enter into yet another earnings season, with a number of major American banks set to publish their latest quarterly results, the first since traders zeroed-in on the banking sector last month following multiple crises.

No major corporate earnings were slated for release on Tuesday.

Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com

Dow Jones - Risers

Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) $220.12 2.13%
Dow Chemical Co. (DOW) $56.50 1.24%
3M Co. (MMM) $103.95 1.16%
Boeing Co. (BA) $213.07 1.09%
Intel Corp. (INTC) $32.87 1.06%
Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) $39.65 0.78%
Walt Disney Co. (DIS) $101.56 0.74%
Nike Inc. (NKE) $122.78 0.71%
Chevron Corp. (CVX) $169.48 0.71%
Unitedhealth Group Inc. (UNH) $518.67 0.68%

Dow Jones - Fallers

Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) $282.57 -2.36%
Salesforce.Com Inc. (CRM) $188.33 -1.65%
Cisco Systems Inc. (CSCO) $50.87 -0.90%
Apple Inc. (AAPL) $160.84 -0.73%
International Business Machines Corporation (CDI) (IBM) $130.50 -0.40%
Coca-Cola Co. (KO) $62.53 -0.26%
American Express Co. (AXP) $160.85 -0.18%
Walmart Inc. (WMT) $150.29 -0.15%
McDonald's Corp. (MCD) $283.48 -0.11%
Procter & Gamble Co. (PG) $150.83 -0.09%

S&P 500 - Risers

Nektar Therapeutics (NKTR) $0.92 8.65%
Carmax Inc. (KMX) $71.02 7.83%
Mohawk Inds Inc. (MHK) $98.47 3.96%
Hanesbrands Inc. (HBI) $5.17 3.40%
Align Technology Inc. (ALGN) $341.29 3.21%
Whirlpool Corp. (WHR) $132.91 2.97%
D. R. Horton Inc. (DHI) $98.90 2.79%
Freeport-McMoRan Inc (FCX) $41.24 2.78%
Welltower Inc (WELL) $74.79 2.71%
Ventas Inc. (VTR) $45.06 2.69%

S&P 500 - Fallers

Amazon.Com Inc. (AMZN) $99.69 -2.42%
Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) $282.57 -2.36%
Kroger Co. (KR) $47.91 -2.02%
Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) $93.83 -1.73%
Salesforce.Com Inc. (CRM) $188.33 -1.65%
Arista Networks Inc. (ANET) $160.51 -1.61%
Ross Stores Inc. (ROST) $105.11 -1.43%
Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT) $490.37 -1.28%
Northrop Grumman Corp. (NOC) $470.81 -1.20%
Intuit Inc. (INTU) $439.39 -1.20%

Nasdaq 100 - Risers

Qurate Retail Inc. (QRTEA) $0.90 4.89%
Align Technology Inc. (ALGN) $341.29 3.21%
DENTSPLY Sirona Inc. (XRAY) $40.73 2.39%
Dish Network Corp. (DISH) $9.05 2.09%
Mercadolibre Inc. (MELI) $1,277.11 2.04%
Gen Digital Inc. (GEN) $17.60 1.68%
Intuitive Surgical Inc. (ISRG) $262.52 1.38%
Seagate Technology Plc (STX) $67.17 1.24%
Henry Schein Inc. (HSIC) $84.83 1.12%
Asml Holdings N.V. (ASML) $669.05 1.12%

Nasdaq 100 - Fallers

Amazon.Com Inc. (AMZN) $99.69 -2.42%
Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) $282.57 -2.36%
Ross Stores Inc. (ROST) $105.11 -1.43%
Baidu Inc. (BIDU) $137.10 -1.37%
Intuit Inc. (INTU) $439.39 -1.20%
Nvidia Corp. (NVDA) $272.50 -1.19%
Alphabet Inc. Class A (GOOGL) $105.24 -1.13%
Workday, Inc. (WDAY) $194.99 -0.99%
Adobe Systems Inc. (ADBE) $372.65 -0.96%
Alphabet Inc. Class C (GOOG) $105.95 -0.94%