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U.S. stock indexes edged lower in early trading Monday as investors pored over the latest crop of company earnings.

Energy companies were down the most as crude oil prices headed lower.

Utilities led the gainers.

Traders also had their eye on the White House as President Donald Trump reaffirmed plans to slash regulations on businesses.

KEEPING SCORE: The Dow Jones industrial average fell 48 points, or 0.2 percent, to 19,779 as of 8:20 a.m. Mountain time. The Standard & Poor's 500 index slid 6 points, or 0.3 percent, to 2,264. The Nasdaq composite index lost 11 points, or 0.2 percent, to 5,543.

TRUMP ON BUSINESS: At a White House meeting early Monday with business leaders, Trump repeated a campaign promise to cut regulations by at least 75 percent. He also said there would be advantages to companies that make their products in the U.S., suggesting he will impose a "substantial border tax" on foreign goods entering the country.

UNHAPPY MEALS: McDonald's was down 1.4 percent after the world's biggest hamburger chain reported a fourth-quarter drop in sales at established U.S. locations. The decline snapped a streak of five quarters of increases. The stock slid $1.41 to $120.85.

BIG DECLINER: Qualcomm fell 12.2 percent in early trading, the biggest decliner among companies in the S&P 500 index. The chipmaker was down $7.68 to $55.20.

MIXED OUTLOOK: Halliburton slid 3.8 percent after the oilfield service company warned of weaker demand in markets outside North America. The stock shed $2.13 to $54.32.

MARKETS ABROAD: Major global stock markets were mostly lower amid concerns that the Trump administration will pursue trade protectionism policies. Germany's DAX was down 0.4 percent, while France's CAC-40 was 0.4 percent lower. London's FTSE 100 was down 0.5 percent. In Asia, a report showed that China's economic growth ticked up in the final quarter of 2016, but the full-year expansion was the weakest in three decades. Hong Kong's Hang Seng was unchanged. Tokyo's Nikkei 225 fell 1.3 percent.

OIL: Benchmark U.S. crude was down 57 cents, or 1.1 percent, at $52.65 per barrel in New York. On Friday, the contract jumped $1.10. Brent crude, used to price international oils, was down 58 cents, or 1 percent at $54.91 per barrel in London. It soared $1.33 the previous session.

TREASURY YIELDS: Bond prices rose. The 10-year Treasury yield fell to 2.43 percent from 2.47 percent late Friday.

CURRENCIES: The dollar declined to 113.34 yen from 114.31 yen Friday. The euro gained to $1.0743 from $1.0707.