Stocks opened lower on Wednesday after Moody's downgrade of Portugal's credit rating to junk and China's interest rate rise sparked jitters about global growth prospects.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> was down 7.42 points, or 0.06 percent, at 12,562.45. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> was down 3.44 points, or 0.26 percent, at 1,334.44. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> was down 4.57 points, or 0.16 percent, at 2,821.20.

(Reporting by Angela Moon, Editing by Kenneth Barry)

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