U.S. stocks edged lower at the opening bell on Thursday a day after the Federal Reserve underlined it would not embark on further interest rate changes for a long time, with investors attributing the slightly bearish sentiment to continued uncertainty around trade policy between Washington and Beijing.

The S&P 500 was nearly flat around 3,140. The Dow Jones Industrial Average retreated 34 points, or 0.1%, to 27,877. The Nasdaq Composite fell 0.2% to 8,641. Market participants still remain unsure whether a swathe of tariffs on Chinese goods will take effect on Dec. 15, with President Donald Trump remaining tight-lipped. Along with the Fed, the European Central Bank also stood pat on Christine Lagarde's first meeting.

Source : Marketwatch