US stocks move lower amid violence in Ukraine

Wall Street stocks moved lower in early trade on Tuesday following a decline in the US trade deficit as investors kept an eye on rising violence in Ukraine. About 35 minutes into trade, the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 76.70 (0.46 per cent) at 16,453.85. The broad-based S&P 500 fell 6.84 (0.36 %) to 1,877.82, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index declined 14.04 (0.34 %) to 4,124.02. The Commerce Department said the US trade deficit shrank to $ 40.4 billion in March from $ 41.9 billion in February after US exports increased. Capital Spreads dealer Jonathan Sudaria said tensions over Ukraine continued to weigh on sentiment. Stock indices in Britain, France and Germany were all lower. “The situation in Ukraine looks set to be something that will continue to influence financial markets for a considerable amount of time,” Sudaria said, according to AFP.