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US STOCKS EDGE LOWER BUT WALMART GAINS EARLY

Major U.S. stock indexes are modestly lower in early trading on Thursday, pulling back after recent gains as financials and technology shares are easing, while Walmart shares are edging higher following its quarterly results.

The financial sector .SPSY is down about 1%, while technology .SPLRCT is down just 0.2%, with shares of Nvidia NVDA.O off 0.1% after ending higher on Wednesday.

Among early gainers, Walmart WMT.O shares are up 2.3% after the retailer reported online demand from U.S. customers looking for quick deliveries bolstered revenue in the holiday quarter. It also announced a fresh $30 billion buyback plan but gave a coming-year forecast that fell short of analyst expectations.

Also on the plus side are energy shares .SPNY. Both Exxon Mobil XOM.N and Chevron CVX.N are up slightly as oil prices rose amid increasing concern about a military conflict between the United States and Iran.

Here is the early market snapshot:

(Caroline Valetkevitch)

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EARLIER ON LIVE MARKETS:

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DÉJÀ VU ALL OVER AGAIN FOR THE U.S. DOLLAR CLICK HERE

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