The Dow fell 23.39 points, or 0.06% , to 38,949.02, the S&P 500 lost 8.42 points, or 0.17%, to 5,069.76 and the Nasdaq lost 87.56 points, or 0.55%, to 15,947.74.
NEW YORK: US stocks closed slightly lower on Wednesday, a day ahead of a key inflation reading that could heavily influence expectations for the timing of an interest rate cut from the Federal Reserve.
The personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index, the Fed's preferred inflation gauge, is expected to show prices ticked 0.3% higher on a monthly basis in January.
