NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks opened flat on Monday as investors worried that the start of the fourth- quarter earnings reporting season may signal further worsening of the recession.
The caution was tempered, however, by hopes that Congress will push to have the remaining $350 billion of the $700 billion financial rescue plan released by the time U.S. President-elect Barack Obama is sworn in on January 20.
* Citigroup
* ALCOA (AA.NY)Inc
* The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> was down 14.74 points, or 0.17 percent, at 8,584.44. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> was down 3.58 points, or 0.40 percent, at 886.77. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> was down 1.70 points, or 0.11 percent, at 1,569.89.
(Editing by James Dalgleish)