US: Wall St slides at open on earnings, data

[NEW YORK] US stocks opened sharply lower on Tuesday, with Microsoft and Caterpillar shares tumbling after both posted earnings, while an unexpected decline in durable goods orders also weighed on sentiment.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 222.56 points, or 1.26 per cent, to 17,456.14, the S&P 500 lost 19.29 points, or 0.94 per cent, to 2,037.8 and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 73.43 points, or 1.54 per cent, to 4,698.33 points.

REUTERS