By Tuba Sahin
ANKARA (AA) - US stocks opened lower Thursday amid concerns about a more hawkish Federal Reserve.
Fed officials support one or more 50 basis point interest rate hikes at future meetings if inflation remains high or keeps climbing, according to minutes released Wednesday.
The Dow Jones industrial average was down 181.1 points, or 0.52%, to 33,315 at 9.33 a.m. EDT. The S&P 500 fell 8.47 or 0.19% to 4,473.
The Nasdaq increased 4.27 points, or 0.03%, to 13,893.
The VIX volatility index, known as the fear index, increased 1.3% to 22.39. The dollar index fell 0.16% to 99.46.
Gold climbed 0.36% to $1,930 per ounce and silver was constant at $25.46.
Global benchmark Brent crude was trading at $102.10, up 1.02%, while US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) was at $97.48 with a 1.30% gain.