Investors were disappointed that Federal Reserve meeting minutes gave little indication of when interest rates would rise. The markets closed lower with the Dow easing 2 points to 17,685. Nasdaq fell 26 points to 4,675.
On the upside
Simon Property Group acquired a 3.6% stake in The Macerich Company (NYSE: MAC).
Target (NYSE: TGT) reported higher third quarter earnings that beat analyst expectations.
Third quarter earnings rose for Lowe's Companies (NYSE: LOW) to top estimates prompting the company to lift its full year guidance.
On the downside
Robert W. Baird downgraded Synchronoss Technologies (Nasdaq: SNCR) from a Neutral rating to an Underperform rating.
E-House (NYSE: EJ) reported lower third quarter earnings and cut its full year outlook.
Falling thermal coal prices weighed down shares of Alpha Natural Resources (NYSE: ANR).
In the broad market, declining issues outpaced advancers by a margin of nearly 5 to 3 on the NYSE and by 5 to 2 on Nasdaq. The broader S&P 500 lost 3 points to 2048. Bitcoin slipped $1 to $375.
No guidance on interest rates, markets close lower
November 19, 2014 at 17:13 PM EST