Wall Street opens lower after jobless claims, Bullard remarks

REUTERS - U.S. stock indexes opened lower on Thursday after weekly U.S. jobless claims data indicated the Federal Reserve could raise interest rates next month.

St. Louis Fed President James Bullard, a prominent hawk who is ready to increase rates, raised concerns of permanently low rates in industrial nations that could force a rethink of monetary policy.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 68.81 points, or 0.39 percent, to 17,633.41. The S&P 500 lost 7.55 points, or 0.36 percent, to 2,067.45 and the Nasdaq Composite index dropped 22.73 points, or 0.45 percent, to 5,044.30.

(Reporting by Sai Sachin R in Bengaluru; Editing by Savio D'Souza)