Market Jitters: S&P 500 Stands Still as Nasdaq Slips Amid Economic Uncertainty

The Nasdaq fell and the S&P 500 stayed flat following a report of lower-than-expected job openings, stoking fears about the U.S. economy's health. Anticipation builds for the upcoming non-farm payrolls data, which may impact Federal Reserve interest rate decisions. Financial stocks provided some market support.

The Nasdaq dropped and the S&P 500 remained unchanged on Wednesday, driven by concerns about the U.S. economy following a report indicating lower-than-expected job openings.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, job openings in July reached 7.673 million, falling short of economists' 8.1 million expectation. This comes ahead of the critical August non-farm payrolls report due on Friday, which could influence the U.S. Federal Reserve's interest rate cut decisions for September.

Market predictions now suggest a 53% chance of a 25-basis point cut, down from over 61% earlier in the day, with a 47% chance for a 50-basis point cut. Michael Brown, senior research strategist at Pepperstone, noted that the report does little to ease ongoing concerns about the U.S. labor market's health.

(With inputs from agencies.)