US stocks fall after conflicting economic data

US stock indices fell in early trading on Wednesday, after the release of mixed economic data, and ahead of the Federal Reserve's meeting minutes.

Data showed today that the second reading of the US GDP grew 2.1% in the third quarter, on par with forecasts.

The US Department of Labor revealed that the number of initial unemployment claims fell to 199K last week from 270K, better than forecasts of 259K.

The US durable goods orders index fell 0.5% last month, missing forecasts of a rise by 0.2%, and the core reading rose 0.5%, on par with forecasts.

The Fed's meeting minutes will be released later today which reveals the discussions that took place during the last meeting and the decision to start reducing asset purchases.

As for stocks, Dow Jones fell 0.4% or 155 points to 35,658 as of 14:58 GMT, and S&P 500 fell 0.5% or 23 points to 4,666, while Nasdaq fell 0.7% or 115 points to 15,661 points.