U.S. stocks open lower, following drops overseas

NEW YORK - U.S. stocks are opening sharply lower, following losses overseas.

Pro-democracy protestors in Hong Kong defy calls to disperse

Asian markets closed mostly lower as investors fretted over the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, where the main Hang Seng index fell 1.9 percent

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 148 points to 16,965 as of 9:53 a.m. ET Monday.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index lost 16 points to 1,967. The Nasdaq composite fell 38 points to 4,474.

DreamWorks Animation soared 18 percent as media reports suggest the animation studio is in discussions with SoftBank Corp. about a possible deal.

Bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.48 percent.