NEW YORK, April 24 (Xinhua) -- U.S. stocks traded lower on Wednesday, as Wall Street looked through the latest earnings report from Boeing and Caterpillar, both regarded as key influencers for the industrial sector of U.S. stock markets.
At midday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 25.76 points, or 0.10 percent, to 26,630.63. The S&P 500 was down 3.05 points, or 0.10 percent, to 2,930.63. The Nasdaq Composite Index decreased 2.60 points, or 0.03 percent, to 8,118.22
Shares of Boeing rose over 1.1 percent, after its quarterly profits were shown to match market estimates, while its revenue came slightly below forecast.
However, the U.S. aerospace giant suspended its full-year guidance and stock buyback program amid volatility, as regulators continued grounding its 737 Max fleet due to two fatal crashes.
Shares of U.S. industrial manufacturer Caterpillar fell nearly 2.3 percent, despite its better-than-expected first-quarter earnings.
The trade-sensitive equipment maker braced a four-percent fall in construction revenue in Asia-Pacific.
Six of the 11 primary S&P 500 sectors traded higher around midday, with the real estate sector up nearly 0.5 percent, leading the gainers.
Investors are also paying close attention to another batch of tech giants' first-quarter earnings scheduled to be issued after market close, including Facebook and Microsoft. Enditem
