U.S. markets slide early

Total sales receipts reached $363.7 billion in the month, up 0.4 percent from July and 3.6 percent above August 2009. Economists had predicted a 0.3 percent month-to-month improvement.

In midmorning trading, the Dow Jones industrial average lost 27.48 points or 0.26 percent to 10,516.65. The Standard & Poor's 500 index lost 4.17 or 0.37 percent to 1,117.73. The Nasdaq composite index lost 6.86 or 0.3 percent to 2,278.85.

The benchmark 10-year Treasury note rose 16/32 to yield 2.69 percent.

The euro rose to $1.288 from Monday's $1.2876. Against the yen, the dollar fell to 83.157 yen from Monday's 83.67 yen.

In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 index slipped 0.24 percent, 22.51, to 9,299.31.

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