US stocks open mixed as investors monitor Fed officials' remarks

US stocks opened mixed today, Dec. 17, as investors awaited inflation data and watched Federal Reserve officials' remarks for hints about the future of interest rates.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.3%, or 152 points, to 48,267 as of 5:36 pm Makkah time, while the S&P 500 was little changed at 6,799. The Nasdaq Composite slipped 0.1%, or 19 points, to 23,089.

Oracle shares fell 2.5% to $183.9 after the Financial Times revealed that negotiations to fund a new company data center had stalled after Blue Owl Capital decided not to move forward with a $10 billion funding deal. 

Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller said the central bank still has room to cut interest rates amid concerns over a slowing labor market, as investors look ahead to November consumer price index data due Dec. 18 for further clues on the outlook of US monetary policy.