US Equity Indexes Lower Ahead of the Fed's Rate-Cut Decision

03:44 PM EDT, 09/16/2025 (MT Newswires) -- US equity indexes were lower ahead of the close on Tuesday as the Federal Open Market Committee commenced its two-day policy session amid a rise in US retail sales in August and higher business inventories in July.

The Nasdaq Composite slumped 0.02% to 22,344, with the S&P 500 down 0.10% to 6,608.9, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average 0.29% lower at 45,751.6. All sectors except energy, consumer discretionary, consumer staples, health care, and communication services fell intraday, with utilities and real estate leading the decliners.

The CBOE Volatility Index jumped 3.5% to 16.25.

Treasury yields were mixed, with the 10-year yield slightly higher at 4.04% and the two-year rate 2 basis points lower at 3.51%.

Gold futures gained 0.2% to $3,726.5 to reach an all-time high.

In company news, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) shares fell 6.6% in intraday trading, the steepest decline on the Nasdaq and S&P 500. The stock move comes after TD Cowen downgraded the stock to hold from buy, and maintained a price target of $14 per share. Reports emerged that Walt Disney (DIS) , Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) and Comcast's (CMCSA) Universal jointly filed a lawsuit against Chinese AI firm MiniMax in federal court Tuesday for allegedly stealing their intellectual property to create its video-generating service Hailuo AI. The development comes amid speculations that Warner Bros. will be acquired by Paramount Skydance (PSKY) .

West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures jumped 1.8% to $64.48 a barrel.

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