(Il Sole 24 Ore Radiocor) - Milano, 20 gen - US shares opened lower to kick off a holiday-shortened week as renewed trade war jitters soured sentiment.

Wall Street was closed yesterday for a national holiday.

Threats by president Donald Trump that he would ratchet up tariffs against countries opposing his plans to take over Greenland spooked the market, pressuring stocks and sending treasury yields to their highest level since September.

Trump is expected to meet European leaders on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Switzerland to discuss the impasse ahead of a speech scheduled for tomorrow at Davos.

EU Commission head Ursula von der Leyen said today the bloc would be "unflinching, united, and proportional" in its response but gave no details.

Investors meanwhile are monitoring the US Supreme Court where judges today are expected to pronounce a series of rulings that may include a critical decision on the legality of Trump's 'reciprocal' trade tariffs.

On the stocks front, shares in Netflix were up 1.5% in early trade after the streaming giant, which will report earnings later today, jigged its bid for Warner Bros., making it all cash.

Just after the opening bell the Dow Jones was down 354.32 points, or 0.72%, at 49,005.01 points, the S&P 500 was down 74.77 points, or 1.08%, at 6,865.24, while the Nasdaq was.

down 388.75 points, or 1.65%, at 23,126.64.

(RADIOCOR) 20-01-26 15:38:53 (0482) 5 NNNN