U.S. stocks open lower amid GDP data, Fed meeting

U.S. stocks opened lower on Wednesday as investors weighed weaker-than-expected GDP data and awaited the conclusion of the two-day Federal Open Market Committee meeting.

U.S. real gross domestic product (GDP) increased at an annual rate of 0.2 percent in the first quarter of this year, according to an advanced estimate released by the U.S. Commerce Department on Wednesday.

The first quarter GDP showed a sharp slowdown from the 2014 fourth quarter's 2.2 percent pace and below the expected 1 percent growth.

Investors also assessed the Fed statement may offer clues to whether a hike in June is still a realistic possibility.

Most analysts expected that the central bank will not raise interest rates until September at the earliest, because of a wave of disappointing domestic data.

In corporate news, Time Warner posted its first-quarter revenues of 7.1 billion U.S. dollars, above forecasts, and quarterly adjusted earnings per share of 1.19 dollars, above estimates as well.

Traders also focused on Twitter after it plunged 18.18 percent Tuesday following the release of its quarterly earnings report. Shares continued to decline 3.83 percent in the early trading on Wednesday.

Shortly after the opening bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 63.56 points, or 0.35 percent, to 18,046.58. The S&P 500 shed 6.64 points, or 0.31 percent, to 2,108.12. The Nasdaq Composite Index fell 17.83 points, or 0.35 percent, to 5,037.59.

U.S. stocks closed mixed on Tuesday, with the Nasdaq in the red as investors were on edge ahead of Wednesday's Fed statement. Endi