US stocks have opened lower following mixed economic data and disappointing earnings outlooks from Dow components Cisco and Walmart.

Five minutes into trade on Thursday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average sank 155.10 (1.01 per cent) to 15,182.56.

The broad-based S&P 500 lost 16.15 (0.96 per cent) at 1,669.24, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index fell 46.36 (1.26 per cent) to 3,622.92.

Weekly US jobless claims declined to their lowest level in six years, but other US economic data was mediocre. Consumer prices rose a scant 0.2 per cent in July, while US industrial output was flat.

Meanwhile, information technology giant Cisco announced it was cutting 4000 jobs due to the weaker-than-expected economic recovery.

Walmart trimmed its full-year earnings and revenue prediction, citing tepid consumer activity in the US and abroad.

Thursday’s news constitute “mixed messages” for the Federal Reserve as it contemplates when to scale back its bond-buying program, said Briefing.com analyst Patrick O’Hare.

“Cisco and Wal-Mart didn’t paint an encouraging growth picture, but the initial claims report did,” O’Hare said.

“The overarching issue is that the stock market is still going to be left guessing about the timing of a tapering decision and pondering the risk the Fed might be running by tapering too soon.”