NEW YORK (AP) ? U.S. stocks are opening lower as worries about a recession in Europe are outweighing hopes that the U.S. economic recovery will gather steam.
The Dow Jones industrial average is down 49 points, or 0.4 percent, to 12,410 shortly after the opening bell.
Coca-Cola is down 2 percent in early trading, the biggest drop in the Dow. Microsoft Corp. is off 1.5 percent after the software maker said late Tuesday that sales of personal computers will likely drop.
The S&P 500 index is down 5 points, or 0.3 percent, to 1,287. The Nasdaq composite is down 6 points, or 0.2. percent, to 2,697.
New figures Wednesday implied Germany’s economy contracted slightly in the fourth quarter. The European Commission also said Hungary has taken “no effective action” to contain its deficit.