U.S. stocks opened lower Friday, feeling pressure after the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation measure showed prices increased more than expected in August. The core personal-consumption price index, which strips out food and energy costs, rose 0.6% in August, compared with a forecast for a 0.5% increase. Investors were also monitoring a speech by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who announced plans to annex large swaths of Ukrainian territory. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 84 points, or 0.3%, while the S&P 500 was down 0.1%. The Nasdaq Composite attempted to stabilize after a Thursday plunge, trading near unchanged.
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