U.S. stocks open narrowly mixed amid rate hike concerns

U.S. stocks opened mixed Monday, as Wall Street continued to weigh the likelihood of a December rate hike in the absence of major economic data.

Investors increasingly expect a rate hike in December after the release of the minutes from the Federal Reserve's October meeting.

According to the minutes released last week, most participants anticipated that it would be appropriate to raise the target range for the federal funds rate at its December meeting, given the improving economic conditions.

During the weekend, San Francisco Fed President John Williams said there is a strong case for the Fed to begin raising short-term interest rates.

Investors will get updates on the real estate and manufacturing sectors, as data on U.S. existing home sales and a Purchasing Managers' Manufacturing Index from Markit are released later in the morning.

Shortly after the opening bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average edged up 1.74 points, or 0.01 percent, to 17,825.55. The S&P 500 edged down 0.29 point, or 0.01 percent, to 2,088.88. The Nasdaq Composite Index rose 0.93 point, or 0.02 percent, to 5,105.85.

On Friday, U.S. stocks ticked up as investors digested several Fed officials' remarks on the timing of an interest rate rise. Endi