NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks opened lower on Thursday as disappointing outlooks from blue-chip companies, including drugmaker Merck and chemical maker DuPont , suggested the economic slump is worsening.
* Bleak November retail sales from major retailers, including Target Corp
* Job cut announcements from phone company AT&T
* The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> was down 74.95 points, or 0.87 percent, at 8,516.74. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> was down 10.17 points, or 1.17 percent, at 860.57. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> was down 20.32 points, or 1.36 percent, at 1,472.06.
(Reporting by Chuck Mikolajczak; Editing by Kenneth Barry)
