US stocks open lower amid violence in Ukraine

Wall Street stocks Tuesday opened lower following a decline in the US trade deficit as investors kept an eye on rising violence in Ukraine. Five minutes into trade, the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 56.68 (0.34 percent) at 16,573.87. The broad-based S&P 500 fell 5.48 (0.29 percent) to 1,879.18, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index declined 10.65 (0.26 percent) to 4,127.40. 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, according to AFP.