NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks opened lower on Tuesday, weighed down by financial shares and by caution ahead of the Federal Reserve's two-day policy meeting.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> dropped 39.90 points, or 0.43 percent, to 9,298.05. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> fell 4.68 points, or 0.46 percent, to 1,002.42. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> shed 10.03 points, or 0.50 percent, to 1,982.21.

(Reporting by Chuck Mikolajczak; Editing by Padraic Cassidy)