Opening Bell: Stocks Look to Head Into the Weekend Lower

Stocks are slightly lower at the opening bell Friday despite this week's key economic data showing health in consumer spending. Americans were in a shopping mood in last month, especially for autos. The Commerce Department said retail sales climbed in August at the fastest pace in four months. The increase was in-line with economists' expectations at 0.6%. July sales were also revised to up 0.3% versus the flat previous reading. Separately, The Labor Department said import prices fell almost 1% in August. That's the biggest drop in nine months. Hertz Global (HTZ) struck a deal with activist investor Carl Icahn. The agreement will allow Icahn to replace three directors from the rental car company's board. Darden Restaurants (DRI) beat Wall Street's expectations by a penny with its quarterly earnings. The operator of casual dining chains like the Olive Garden said they're pleased with improvements seen recently but there's still more work to do.