Stocks opened slightly lower Tuesday as Federal Reserve policy makers were set to begin a two-day meeting expected to conclude with another quarter-point cut in interest rates.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 77 points, or 0.3%, to 27,000, while the S&P 500 declined 4 points, or 0.1%, to 2,994. The Nasdaq Composite was off 5 points, or 0.1%, at 8,148.

Stocks ended lower Monday as oil prices surged in the wake of a weekend attack on Saudi Arabian oil-production facilities. Crude pulled back on Tuesday, while investors looked ahead to the outcome of the Fed meeting.

Source : MarketWatch