U.S. stocks open lower on Greece's debt

U.S. stocks opened lower Tuesday, as Greece declined to accept a six-month extension of its bailout, stoking concerns about a Greek exit from the euro zone.

Eurozone finance ministers were unable to reach a final agreement with the Greek government on the bailout program on Monday, Eurogroup President Jeroen Dijsselbloem said at a press conference.

"We simply need more time. The best way to do that is to extend the current program," Dijsselbloem said.

Greece's current bailout expires at the end of the month, and Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras' government has refused to extend it on current terms.

On the economic front, the Empire State Manufacturing Index for February fell to 7.78 from January's reading of 9.95, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York said in a survey Tuesday. The latest figure missed market consensus, but still indicated that business activity continued to expand at a modest pace for New York manufacturers.

Shortly after the opening bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 37.63 points, or 0.21 percent, to 17,981.72. The S&P 500 lost 4.26 points, or 0.2 percent, to 2,092.73. The Nasdaq Composite Index was down 6.54 points, or 0.13 percent, to 4,887.29.

U.S. stock markets were closed for Presidents' Day on Monday.

On Friday U.S. equities added gains, with the S&P 500 refreshing its record highs and the Dow Jones Industrial Average above 18,000 for the first time in 2015, buoyed by upbeat eurozone growth data and a recovery in oil prices. Endi