U.S. Stocks Off to a Losing Start

Updated from 9:11 a.m. EST

U.S. stocks opened with losses Wednesday, as reports suggested the Treasury Department, the Federal Reserve and other government agencies were tweaking their plans to intervene in the most troubled corners of the financial markets.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 173 points to 8521, and the S&P 500 gave back 19 points to 880. The Nasdaq slid 26 points to 1555.

The status of programs to quell turmoil in the financial space was occupying investor attention. The Wall Street Journal reported ahead of Wednesday's session that the Treasury may begin to require companies to raise private money before gaining access to the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program. ...