The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 25,998.92 on Wednesday for a gain of 27.86 points or 0.11%. The S&P 500 closed at 2,888.92 for a gain of 1.03 points or 0.04%. The Nasdaq Composite closed at 7,954.23 for a loss of -18.24 points or -0.23%. The VIX Volatility Index was lower at 13.14 for a loss of -0.08 points or -0.61%.
Wednesday’s market movers
U.S. market indexes closed with mostly positive gains on Wednesday. Technology stocks and the Nasdaq were slightly lower. The Fed’s Beige Book showed a slightly improved status on economic growth. Meanwhile, the U.S. and Canada continued their trade negotiations and the Trump administration announced possible trade negotiation proposals with China, giving the country a chance to discuss factors involving trade before implementing another round of tariffs.
Across the broad market, the consumer staples, energy and industrial sectors led gains. Top contributors for the day included Liberty Oilfield Services (LBRT, Financial) and Tilray (TLRY, Financial). Apple (AAPL, Financial) was a top detractor for the day, reporting a loss of -1.24%.
Economic reports affecting market trading included the following:
- The Mortgage Bankers Association’s mortgage application index was down -1.8% for the week.
- The Producer Price Index increased 2.8% annually and decreased -0.1% for the month.
- The EIA Petroleum Status report showed a decrease of -5.3 million barrels in inventory for the week.
- The Federal Reserve’s Beige Book upgraded the economy’s growth status to moderate from modest to moderate.
- The Treasury held an auction for 10-year notes at a rate of 2.957%.
In the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the following stocks led gains:
- Boeing (BA, Financial) 2.36%
- General Electric (GE, Financial) 2.27%
- Caterpillar (CAT, Financial) 1.62%
- Procter & Gamble (PG, Financial) 1.34%
- Merck (MRK, Financial) 1.13%
Small-cap stocks
In small-caps, the Russell 2000 closed at 1,715.70 for a loss of -2.71 points or -0.16%. The S&P 600 at 1,079.31 for a loss of -3.06 points or -0.28%. The Dow Jones Small-Cap Growth TSM Index closed at 10,769.26 for a loss of -8.20 points or -0.08%. The Dow Jones Small-Cap Value TSM Index closed at 10,578.96 for a loss of -31.28 points or -0.29%.
Other notable indexes
Other notable index closes included the S&P 400 Mid-Cap Index at 2,036.19 for a gain of 1.34 points or 0.07%; the S&P 100 at 1,279.43 for a gain of 0.36 points or 0.03%; the Russell 3000 at 1,716.83 for a gain of 0.43 points or 0.03%; the Russell 1000 at 1,603.26 for a gain of 0.65 points or 0.04%; the Wilshire 5000 at 30,117.06 for a gain of 13.51 points or 0.04%; and the Dow Jones U.S. Select Dividend Index at 725.12 for a gain of 2.19 points or 0.30%.
