NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock indexes edged lower Thursday following another reminder that big, unsettling policy changes are underway because of President Donald Trump, along with more signals suggesting the U.S. economy remains solid for now.
The S&P 500 slipped 0.2% after flipping between modest gains and losses through the day. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped by 11 points, or less than 0.1 %, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.3%.
Wall Street has been swinging for weeks on a roller-coaster ride, as stock prices veer on uncertainty about what Trump’s trade war will do to the economy. Stocks got a boost Wednesday after the head of the Federal Reserve said the economy remains solid enough at the moment to leave interest rates where they are.
More data arrived Thursday to bolster that view. One report said slightly fewer U.S. workers filed for unemployment benefits last week than economists expected. It’s the latest sign of a potentially “low fire, low hire” job market.
A separate report said sales of previously occupied homes were stronger last month than economists expected, while a third said manufacturing growth in the mid-Atlantic region appears to be better than economists expected.
But Fed Chair Jerome Powell also stressed on Wednesday that extremely high uncertainty is making it difficult to forecast what will happen…
