Stocks ended lower but off their worst levels, with the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite bearing the brunt of selling pressure for a second session Wednesday after minutes of the Federal Reserve’s March policy meeting outlined plans for shrinking the central bank’s nearly $9 trillion balance sheet. The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended with a loss of around 145 points, or 0.4%, near 34,497, according to preliminary figures, while the S&P 500 sank around 44 points, or 1%. to finish near 4,481. The Nasdaq Composite shed around 315 points, or 2.2%, closing near 13,889.
Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.
