Wall Street ends lower as markets consider December rate hike

US stock indices closed lower on Thursday but still near record highs, with Apple leading the decline on Wall Street, while markets price in a probable Federal Reserve rate hike in December as betting markets pin a 70% chance on it. 

Earlier US data showed a drop in unemployment claims, while the Philly manufacturing index widened unexpectedly in September, as the house price index accelerated below expectations in July.  

Yesterday, Federal Reserve policymakers voted to hold overnight interest rates unchanged at between 1.00% and 1.25% in line with expectations in today's Federal Open Market Committee meeting, while announcing the start of the process to normalize and trim down the massive $4.5 trillion balance sheet from October.  

Dow Jones lost 0.24%, or 53.36 points to 22,359.23, while Standard and Poor's 500 shed 0.30%, or 7.64 points to 2,4500.06. NASDAQ Composite slid 0.52%, or 33.35 points to 6,422.69. 

Gold futures due on December 16 slumped 1.68% to $1,294.30 an ounce from the opening of $1,316.40, while the dollar index declined 0.34% to 92.19 from the opening of 92.51. 

Otherwise, US crude futures due on November 15 rose 0.06% to $50.72 a barrel from the opening of $50.69, while Brent crude futures due on November 15 advanced 0.30% to $56.46 a barrel from the opening of $56.29.