Stocks open lower after larger-than-expected drop in retail sales

(Aug 17) Stocks open lower after larger-than-expected drop in retail sales.

Dow industrials fall 291 points, or 0.8%. S&P 500 drops 0.7% to 4,448.21. Nasdaq Composite down 0.9% at 14,650.41.

China tech stocks slump as China’s market regulator issued draft rules banning unfair competition among the nation’s online platform operators.

Dow member Home Depot fell more than 4% after reporting second-quarter results, knocking futures. While quarterly earnings topped estimates, same-store sales rose 4.5% in the period, below the 5% consensus estimate of analysts polled by StreetAccount. U.S. same store sales increased by just 3.4%.

Walmart shares gained 0.27% after second-quarter earnings topped estimates. The retailer issued cautious guidance; the company said it will earn between $1.30 and $1.40 a share this quarter while the consensus analyst estimate is $1.32, according to StreetAccount.