U.S. stocks opened lower on Wednesday, led by energy plays as oil prices retreated. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 42 points, or 0.2%, to trade at 17,677 after the opening bell, while the S&P 500 index declined 6 points, or 0.3%, to trade at 2,072. Meanwhile, the Nasdaq Composite index dropped 11 points, or 0.2%, to trade at 5,096. Declining crude-oil prices have been weighing on stock indexes throughout 2015, and the S&P's energy sector is the worst performer on the index, down 23.5% for the year, with only two trading session left until year end. On Wednesday, energy companies Exxon Mobil and Chevron were leading the Dow industrials decliners.
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