U.S. stocks declined Wednesday. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 100.72, or 0.4 percent, to 25,776.61. Eighteen of the index's 30 components were lower, led by Apple, which dropped more than 2 percent. Goldman Sachs and Boeing each lost at least 1.7 percent. Coca-Cola led advancers, surging 2.2 percent, while Merck and 3M climbed 1.9 and 1.5 percent, respectively. The broader Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 8.09, or 0.3 percent, to 2,856.27. Technology dropped 0.5 percent, leading declining sectors. Retailers also were under pressure. Lowe's plunged 11.9 percent on weaker-than-expected profit, while Nordstrom dropped 9.3 percent as its quarterly results missed estimates. Target, however, jumped more than 9 percent as its profit and revenue topped expectations. The technology-heavy Nasdaq composite index fell 34.88, or 0.45 percent, to 7,750.84. Qualcomm shares plummeted 10.9 percent. Facebook, Amazon, and Google-parent Alphabet rose slightly, while Netflix surged 1.5 percent.
