U.S. stocks fell at the open on Monday as investors weighed early signals about the strength of holiday retail sales while concerns of a possible debt default by two of Dubai's flagship firms lingered.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> dropped 28.04 points, or 0.27 percent, to 10,281.88. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> fell 2.81 points, or 0.26 percent, to 1,088.68. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> dipped 8.62 points, or 0.40 percent, to 2,129.82.

(Reporting by Edward Krudy; editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)

Dubai Retail