Stocks open lower after inflation data as investors wrap up brutal September

U.S. stocks opened lower Friday, feeling pressure after the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation measure showed prices increased more than expected in August. The core personal-consumption price index, which strips out food and energy costs, rose 0.6% in August, compared with a forecast for a 0.5% increase. Investors were also monitoring a speech by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who announced plans to annex large swaths of Ukrainian territory. The Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA, +0.05% fell 84 points, or 0.3%, while the S&P 500 SPX, +0.40% was down 0.1%. The Nasdaq Composite attempted to stabilize after a Thursday plunge, trading near unchanged.