Wall Street opens modestly lower as investors assess latest earnings figures

Major equity indexes in the United States started the day with small losses on Wednesday as markets are assessing the latest earnings figures. At the moment, the Dow Jones Industrial Average is losing 0.12% on the day while the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite are erasing 0.1% and 0.08%, respectively.

Earlier today, Boeing's Q1 revenue met analysts' expectation and allowed company's shares to post small gains in the early trade. On the other hand, Caterpillar in its report noted decreasing sales in China amid fierce competition and started the day under heavy selling pressure. Dragged by a more-than-3% drop in Cat shares, the S&P 500 Industrials Index was last down 0.1% on the day. 

On the other hand, the so-called defensive sectors, Real Estate, Utilities, are recording modest gains in the early trade to reflect a risk-off environment.