US stocks open nearly flat after retail sales data

U.S. stocks opened almost flat on Friday, after data showed U.S. retail sales rose slightly better than expected last month.
U.S. retail and food services sales increased 0.3 percent in October, said the Commerce Department, beating market consensus of a 0.2-percent rise.
Moreover, the price index for U.S. imports decreased 1.3 percent in October, mostly led by falling fuel prices, while export prices declined 1.0 percent in October, the Labor Department reported.
U.S. stocks have been following the up-and-down pattern in intraday trading over the past few days, as investors are reassessing the valuation of stocks after the recent record-setting streak.
On Thursday, U.S. stocks eked out gains, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average setting all-time intraday and closing highs amid a batch of mixed earnings from major retailers.
Shortly after the opening bell, the blue-chip Dow lost 1.72 points, or 0.01 percent, to 17,651.07. The S&P 500 edged up 0.62 point, or 0.03 percent, to 2,039.95. The Nasdaq Composite Index dipped 1.32 points, or 0.03 percent, to 4,678.82.