US stocks open lower to continue weak trend

By Ovunc Kutlu

ANKARA (AA) - Major indices on the New York Stock Exchange opened lower on Thursday to continue its weak trend.

The Dow was down 62 points, or 0.2%, to 32,752 points at 9.36 a.m. EDT (1336GMT). The S&P 500 fell 12, or 0.3%, to 4,089.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq was off 48 points, or 0.41%, to 11,945.

The VIX volatility index, also known as the fear index, was up 3.1% to 26.49.

The dollar index fell 0.4% to 102.09 and the 10-year US Treasury yield lost 1.2% to 2.897%.

Precious metals gained strongly, with gold adding 1% to $1,864 and silver rising 1.5% to $22.16.

Crude prices were also on the rise. Global oil benchmark Brent crude was trading at $116.96 for a 0.6% gain, while US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) was at $116.02 -- a 0.7% increase.