U.S. stocks open lower on job data

U.S. stocks opened lower on Wednesday as investors digested a weaker-than-expected report on private sector employment.

Private sector employment increased by 189,000 jobs from February to March, below expectations of a modest rise to around 225,000, according to the March ADP National Employment Report Wednesday.

Traders said such weak data raised concerns that Friday' s impending jobs report could also point to worsening conditions in the labor market.

Data due through the week will be analyzed for indications on whether economic growth is strong enough to spur the U.S. Federal Reserve to begin raising interest rate sooner than expected.

European equities traded higher on Wednesday as fresh economic reports continued to show growth in the euro zone.

Euro-area manufacturing expanded faster than initially estimated last month, as Markit's Purchasing Managers Index hit a 10-month high in March, rising to 52.2 from 51 in February.

Shortly after the opening bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 69.10 points, or 0.39 percent, to 17,707.02. The S&P 500 shed 7.07 points, or 0.34 percent, to 2,060.82. The Nasdaq Composite Index decreased 14.21 points, or 0.29 percent, to 4,886.67.

U.S. stocks ended sharply lower after choppy trading on Tuesday, as economic data came out mixed. Endite