U.S. stocks closed mostly lower Wednesday. In economic news, new-home sales rose 3.1 percent in September, indicating strong home demand despite a shortage of properties for sale. The U.S. dollar fell against a basket of currencies one day after reaching its highest level since February. Gold futures were little changed, falling $7, or 0.5 percent, to $1,266.60 an ounce on the New York Mercantile Exchange. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures fell 78 cents, or 1.6 percent, to $49.18 a barrel, after earlier declining to $48.87, the lowest level since October 4. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 30.06, or 0.2 percent, to 18,199.33. Sixteen of the index's 30 components rose. Shares of Boeing jumped 4.6 percent after the aerospace giant reported quarterly results, offsetting sharp losses from Apple, Merck, and DuPont. The broader Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 3.73, or 0.2 percent, to 2,139.43. Real estate fell 1.3 percent, leading seven sectors lower. Financials and industrials led four sectors higher. The technology-heavy Nasdaq composite index fell 33.13, or 0.6 percent, to 5,250.27. Shares of Apple fell 2.25 percent.
