The markets opened lower with the Dow falling 63 points to 16,591 after Chinese banks warned of increased loan defaults. Nasdaq slipped 8 points to 4,804.

On the upside

Stereotaxis (Nasdaq: STXS) and Westmead Hospital in Australia announced that the Niobe system formed faster, deeper lesions in highly mobile cardiac regions.
 
Activist investor Carl Icahn acquired a 8.5% stake in Freeport-McMoRan (NYSE: FCX).

Big Lots (NYSE: BIG) reported better than expected second quarter earnings and revenue.

On the downside

Violin Memory (NYSE: VMEM) widened losses for the second quarter as revenue fell.
 
Aeropostale (NYSE: ARO) reported a wider than expected loss for the second quarter.

Benchmark downgraded GameStop (NYSE: GME) from a Hold rating to a Sell rating.

In the broad market, declining issues barely edged out advancers by a slim margin on the NYSE while advancers edged out decliners on Nasdaq. The broader S&P 500 slipped 4 points to 1,983. Bitcoin edged up a fraction to $225.