US stocks have opened slightly lower on weak US spending and income data ahead of a big US holiday weekend.

Five minutes into trade, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 22.85 (0.15 per cent) to 14,818.10.

The broad-based S&P 500 slipped 0.51 (0.03 per cent) to 1,637.66, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index dropped 3.68 (0.10 per cent) at 3,616.63.

The Commerce Department on Friday said US consumer spending in July rose by only 0.1 per cent, while personal income also ticked up 0.1 per cent. The spending figure came in well below the 0.3 per cent analyst estimate.

Patrick O’Hare, analyst at Briefing.com, said markets could be quiet ahead of the Labor Day weekend in the US, which will close markets on Monday.

“Any business that has to be transacted will probably take place early when there is a better chance of having more liquidity,” O’Hare said.

“Barring some headline shock, things seem bound to slow down as the day progresses and the holiday weekend beckons.”