Stocks dip as investors cautious ahead of earnings

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are falling slightly in early trading as investors enter the beginning of earnings season cautiously.

A fresh round of corporate dealmaking, highlighted by insurance broker Aon buying Hewitt Associates, has not been enough to overcome the uncertainty about quarterly results. Alcoa kicks off earnings after the market closes.

Earnings over the next few weeks should provide insight into whether sluggish retail sales, waning consumer confidence and high unemployment have actually hurt businesses’ profits.

The Dow Jones industrial average is down 28.08, or 0.3 percent, to 10,169.96. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index is down 2.90, or 0.3 percent, to 1,075.06, while the Nasdaq composite index is down 2.00, or 0.1 percent, at 2,194.45.