US stock market opens mixed with oil decline, high GDP

NEW YORK (AA) - The stock market opened mixed Tuesday as the decline in oil prices was balanced with the growth in the American economy.

The Dow fell one point to begin the day at 19,096. The S&P 500 was up less than one point to 2,202 and the Nasdaq added four points to open at 5,373.

Oil prices was down almost four percent as investors' worries have resurfaced over whether OPEC members would be able to reach a final agreement to limit their production quotas at their semi-annual meeting on Wednesday.

At the first bell, American benchmark West Texas Intermediate was trading at $45.36 a barrel with a 3.7 percent decline, and international benchmark Brent crude was at $47.46 a barrel -- a 3.8 percent fall.

The positive GDP growth figures, however, helped the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq to open with gains.

American economy grew by 3.2 percent in the third quarter this year, marking its highest quarterly gain in the last two years, according to the U.S. Commerce Department earlier Tuesday.