NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are mostly lower as investors pick over minutes from the Federal Reserve's latest policy meeting and look ahead to the beginning of corporate earnings reports.
The Dow Jones industrial average lost 68 points, or 0.4 percent, to close at 16,462 Wednesday.
The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell a fraction to 1,837. The Nasdaq composite was up 12 points, 0.3 percent, at 4,165.
Telecommunications stocks fell the most. Health care stocks rose.
Trading is getting off to a slow start at the beginning of the year. Investors are looking ahead to the government's monthly jobs report Friday. Chevron and Alcoa release their results on Thursday.
Bond prices fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 3 percent.