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| - Wall Street stocks opened lower Monday as the combination of higher coronavirus cases in many states juxtaposed against robust stimulus efforts pointed to increased volatility. Stocks futures had been in positive territory prior to the start of trading, but equities fell in the opening moments, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average off 0.6 percent at 25,722.98. About 15 minutes into trading, the broad-based S&P 500 shed 0.4 percent to 3,084.04, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index slipped 0.1 percent to 9,933.27. Investors have had a mixed response to significant increases in COVID-19 cases in Texas, Florida and other states, at times shrugging off the trend and at other junctures pulling back on fears that fresh outbreaks could depress economic activity or prompt lockdowns to be reinstated. This week's calendar includes data on home sales and durable goods orders, as well as earnings from Nike. And the International Monetary Fund will releases its updated growth forecasts which are expected to be quite pessimistic. Among individual stocks, American Airlines slid 5.4 percent as it announced plans to raise $3.5 billion in new financing, an initiative that includes new debt facilities and bonds. American, which already carries more debt than leading competitors, needs the funds to cover expenses amid a lengthy downturn due to coronavirus shutdowns. jmb/hs
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