U.S. stocks closed mixed on Wednesday as weaker economic data weighed on equities and focus among investors returned to recession concerns. The Dow Jones Industrial Average
DJIA,
gained about 80 points, or 0.2%, ending near 33,482, according to preliminary FactSet data, but the S&P 500 index
SPX,
and Nasdaq Composite Index
COMP,
fell 0.3% and 1.1%, respectively. That left the S&P 500 down for two straight days and the Nasdaq lower for a third day in a row. Investors were focused on an ADP report showing that private-sector employers added 145,000 jobs in March, well below the 210,000 expected by economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal. Also, the bellwether Institute for Supply Management’s service sector activity index showed business conditions at U.S. companies fell to a three-month low of 51.2% in March.
