U.S. stocks open lower, on track for fourth day of losses

U.S. stocks opened marginally lower again on Wednesday as the main benchmarks headed for a fourth day of losses ahead of closely-watched commentary from Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell. The S&P 500
SPX,
+0.53%
fell 3 points, or 0.1%, to 4,126. The Nasdaq Composite
COMP,
+0.84%
retreated 5 points, or 0.1%, to 12,377. The Dow Jones Industrial Average
DJIA,
+0.41%
fell 50 points, or 0.1%, to 32,862. Powell will deliver an update on the Fed’s thinking Friday morning when he speaks at the central bank’s annual economic symposium in Jackson Hole, Wyo. As some economists brace for hawkish rhetoric from Powell, investors are also digesting a wave of downbeat economic data from around the world, including signs of a softening housing market in the U.S. and weak purchasing-managers’ index data in Europe and the U.S.