US: Shares reverse losses in early trade

[NEW YORK] An unexpected chief executive resignation at DuPont lifted the Dow in opening trade Tuesday as the S&P 500 and Nasdaq edged lower.

Five minutes into trade, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was at 16,796.40, up 19.97 points (0.12 per cent).

The broad-based S&P 500 slipped 1.64 (0.08 per cent) to 1,985.41, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index lost 6.87 (0.14 per cent) at 4,774.39.

DuPont surged 10.6 per cent higher after the chemical company announced late Monday that chief executive Ellen Kuhlman would retire this month following a turbulent battle with activist investor Nelson Peltz.

AFP