Wall Street ends lower as US-North Korea tensions intensify

US stock indices closed lower on Wednesday, marking the worst session in August so far amid growing tension in the markets regarding the deteriorating situation between America and North Korea, and after US president Donald Trump tweeted earlier today about his country's nuclear weapons while expressing his hope to not use it. 

On Tuesday, president Donald Trump warned nuclear nations that might threaten the US with a response filled with "fire and fury", after North Korea said it's considering a missile strike on US Pacific island Guam, but Secretary of State Rex Tillerson that there's no imminent threat on the country relatively calmed the markets.

Earlier from the US, the preliminary reading for labor unit costs showed a 0.6% rise in the second quarter, slowing down sharply from 2.2% in the first quarter, and missing expectations of 1.1%, while non-farm productivity rose 0.9% in the previous quarter, compared to no-change in the first one, and passing expectations of 0.7%. 

Dow Jones shed 0.17%, or 36.64 points to 22,048.70, while Standard and Poor's 500 declined 0.04%, or 0.90 points to 2,474.02. NASDAQ Composite dipped 0.28%, or 18.13 points to 6,352.33. 

Gold futures due on December 16 jumped 1.52% to $1,281.80 an ounce from the opening of $1,262.60, while the dollar index fell 0.12% to 93.53 from the opening of 93.65. 

Otherwise, US crude futures due on September 15 rose 0.81% to $49.57 a barrel from the opening of $49.17, while Brent crude futures due on October 15 rallied 1.09% to $52.71 a barrel from the opening of $52.14, after the earlier EIA report showed a larger-than-expected inventory drawdown last week.