Major stock indexes ended lower for a second straight day Wednesday following a three-session streak of record closing highs. Technology stocks declined, although energy shares rose along with the price of crude.

The stock market stumbled again on Wednesday as the September rally struggled to find its next catalyst. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 172 points, or 0.4%. The S&P 500 was down 0.3%. The Nasdaq Composite was down 0.4%.

U.S. stocks drifted lower, easing major indexes a bit further below the all-time highs they set at the beginning of the week. The S&P 500 fell 0.3% Wednesday.

U.S. stocks were mostly lower in midday trading on Tuesday, as market attention was shifting to Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's speech at the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce 2025 Economic Outlook Luncheon in Warwick,

The Dow Jones Industrial Average ( ^DJI 1.36%) rose 3.2% in August 2025, comfortably ahead of the broader S&P 500 ( ^GSPC 0.85%) index, which gained 1.9% in the same period. But the Dow's impressive performance was built on a mixed bag of specific stock performances.

Madhavi Arora, Chief Economist at Emkay Global Financial Services, noted that “the August CPI was largely in-line, removing a key risk for the markets ahead of next week’s FOMC meeting.”

U.S. stocks were on track for back-to-back declines in Wednesday afternoon trading as investors continued to absorb Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's take on "fairly highly valued" U.S. equities.

The SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust Is 1 of the Leading Blue Chip ETFs in 2025. Here's Why. Blue chip stocks are well-established, well-known companies. The Dow Jones index includes 30 blue chip stocks. Many blue chip ETFs have become overconcentrated in megacap tech stocks.

Here’s a look at the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Facts The Dow Jones Industrial Average is a stock index comprised of 30 “blue-chip” US stocks. It is meant to be a way to measure the strength or weakness of the entire US stock market.

Payable Sep 26; for shareholders of record Sep 22; ex-div Sep 22. More on Invesco Dow Jones Industrial Average Dividend ETF DJD: Mega-Cap Exposure At Cheap Valuation And Above-Average Yields DJD: Dogs Of The Dow Steady In 2025,

The Dow Jones Industrial Average turned negative following comments from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. In his recent speech, Powell emphasized the Federal Reserve's cautious approach to