U.S. Stocks End Wednesday Mixed
The Dow Jones Industrial Average slid 0.94 percent, settling at 48,996.08. The S&P 500 declined 0.34 percent to finish at 6,920.93. The Nasdaq Composite Index managed modest gains of 0.16 percent, closing at 23,584.28.
Losses dominated eight of the 11 major S&P 500 sectors, with utilities bearing the heaviest damage at a 2.46 percent drop, followed by industrials tumbling 1.9 percent. Health care and communication services bucked the downward trend, advancing 1.01 percent and 0.79 percent, respectively.
Data from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey revealed available positions across the nation contracted to 7.15 million in November—marking the weakest reading in more than 12 months. This figure represented a decline from October's revised 7.45 million openings and significantly undershot Wall Street projections.
"You're not seeing a dynamic labor market," ADP chief economist Nela Richardson said Wednesday, commenting on the payroll processor's separate report indicating subdued private-sector hiring.
Energy sector stocks absorbed continued punishment as crude oil values prolonged Tuesday's selloff. The downturn followed U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement that Venezuelan officials agreed to transfer between 30 million and 50 million barrels of previously embargoed oil to American custody.
Real estate investment trusts focused on single-family rental properties experienced sharp declines after Trump declared he was implementing measures to "ban large institutional investors from buying more" such residential assets, blaming corporate landlords for inflating housing expenses for ordinary Americans.
Invitation Homes, the country's dominant single-family rental operator, crashed 6.01 percent. Investment giants Blackstone and Apollo Global Management each surrendered more than 5 percent of their value.
Semiconductor manufacturers delivered divergent performances. Nvidia climbed 1 percent while AMD retreated 2.02 percent after both technology firms introduced next-generation AI computing systems at the 2026 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Intel dominated Nasdaq gainers, surging 6.47 percent.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
