Lower open ahead of earnings

The markets opened lower with the Dow slipping 22 points to 16,522 as investors await earnings news. Nasdaq fell 18 points to 4,257.

On the upside

CSX (NYSE: CSX) rejected Canadian Pacific Railway's offer to merge the two companies.

Targa Resources will buy Atlas Energy (NYSE: ATLS) and Atlas Pipeline Partners in a deal valued at approximately $6 billion including the assumption of debt.

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: ALNY) reported positive six-month clinical data from an ongoing Phase 2 study of patisiran to treat transthyretin mediated amyoidosis in patients with familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy.

On the downside

DryShips (Nasdaq: DRYS) withdrew its $700 million senior secured notes offering prompting a downgrade.

Shares of GoPro (Nasdaq: GPRO) continued falling.

Himax Technologies (Nasdaq: HIMX) extended its losses.

In the broad market, advancing issues barely edged out decliners by a slim margin on the NYSE while decliners outpaced advancers by more than 10 to 9 on Nasdaq. The broader S&P 500 eased a point to 1904. Bitcoin rose $5 to $382.