[NEW YORK] Wall Street stocks opened mixed on Wednesday after a report showed private-sector US hiring slowed in November.

Five minutes into trade, the Dow Jones Industrial Average stood at 17,856.97, down 22.58 points (0.13 per cent).

The broad-based S&P 500 edged up 0.17 (0.01 per cent) to 2,066.72, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index gained 2.13 (0.04 per cent to 4,757.94.

Payroll company ADP said the private sector added 208,000 jobs in November, down from 233,000 in October. The figure was below the 225,000 projected by analysts, but still came in above 200,000.

The US Federal Reserve later Wednesday will release its "Beige Book" outlining economic conditions throughout the country.

AFP