NEW YORK: U.S. stocks ended lower on Wednesday, with the Nasdaq falling 1 per cent as technology shares declined and weak demand in a 10-year Treasury auction stoked investor jitters in choppy trade.
Indexes started the day higher with a surge in tech shares, and both began to lose steam in afternoon trading. With investors still nervous after a recent steep selloff in global stocks, equities pared gains further after the Treasury auction.
All three indexes went red, and losses steepened just before the close. The S&P 500 technology index ended down 1.4 per cent and was the biggest drag on the benchmark index.
"There's just a lot to worry about over the next eight weeks or so, so I'm expecting more volatility. I wouldn't be surprised if after a few days of rally you have another small selloff," said Peter Tuz, president of Chase Investment Counsel in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Investors have been worried about a possible U.S. recession and weaker forecasts from some big U.S. companies, among other factors.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 234.21 points, or 0.6 per cent, to 38,763.45, the S&P 500 lost 40.53 points, or 0.77 per cent, to 5,199.5 and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 171.05 points, or 1.05 per cent, to 16,195.81.
Lindsey Bell, chief strategist at 248 Ventures in Charlotte, North Carolina, said investors also may be taking profits after Tuesday's rebound in stocks.
"You don't just have the fall we had on Monday and it's done. You typically test the lows again before we can move out of this downtrend," she said.
On Monday, the Nasdaq and S&P 500 fell at least 3 per cent each.
Stocks got early support Wednesday following comments from Bank of Japan (BOJ) Deputy Governor Shinichi Uchida that the central bank would not raise rates when financial markets are unstable.
The BOJ's surprise rate hike on July 31 to a level unseen in 15 years had sparked a global stocks rout as investors unwound their sharp yen carry trade positions following a surge in the low-yielding currency, widely used for acquiring high-yielding assets.
Shares of Walt Disney fell 4.5 per cent as it predicted a "moderation in demand" at its theme park business in the coming quarters.
Super Micro Computer shares dropped 20.1 per cent after it reported quarterly adjusted gross margins below estimates. Rival Dell Technologies dropped 4.9 per cent.
Markets await more commentary on monetary policy from U.S. central bank officials next week, in the run-up to the Jackson Hole, Wyoming, event where Fed Chair Jerome Powell is scheduled to speak.
Volume on U.S. exchanges was 12.93 billion shares, compared with the 12.63 billion average for the full session over the last 20 trading days.
Declining issues outnumbered advancing ones on the NYSE by a 1.48-to-1 ratio; on Nasdaq, a 2.08-to-1 ratio favored decliners.
The S&P 500 posted 16 new 52-week highs and 9 new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 34 new highs and 195 new lows.