U.S. stocks open lower as 2015 comes to a close

U.S. stocks opened lower Thursday in the final trading day of 2015. A continued slump in crude-oil prices helped pressure stocks--a persistent theme for much of the year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average opened 102 points, or 0.6%, to trade at 17,502, while the S&P 500 index fell 10 points, or 0.6%, at 2,052. Meanwhile, the Nasdaq Composite Index was 25 points, or 0.5%, lower at 5,040. A fourth straight year of gains was on the line for the S&P 500. The S&P is looking at an annual gain of 0.2%, while the Nasdaq is eyeing a gain of nearly 7% for 2015. Meanwhile, the Dow needs to climb about 220 points to break even| for 2015.

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