US stocks open lower, trailing global markets down

NEW YORK — U.S. stocks are opening sharply lower, following a slump in global markets.

European markets were sliding Tuesday after an early election was called in Greece, which investors feared could jeopardize the country’s bailout program. Stocks also fell sharply in China after regulators there tightened rules for lending.

The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 177 points, or 1 percent, to 17,663 as of 9:35 a.m. Eastern time.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 index fell 24 points, or 1.2 percent, to 2,036. The Nasdaq composite lost 66 points, or 1.4 percent, to 4,675.

The price of crude oil fell 50 cents to $62.56 a barrel in New York.

Government bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note slipped to 2.20 percent.