: U.S. stocks open lower ahead of debt-ceiling vote in Congress

U.S. stocks opened lower Wednesday, as investors await a vote by Congress on the debt-ceiling agreement reached by President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. The Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA was down 0.4% soon after the opening bell, while the S&P 500 SPX fell 0.5% and the Nasdaq Composite COMP shed 0.4%, according to FactSet data, at last check. The House is expected to vote on the U.S. debt-ceiling deal on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Federal Reserve officials are scheduled to speak on Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time, including Fed Gov. Philip Jefferson and Philadelphia Fed President Patrick Harker.

Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.