Stocks Slipped after Fed

U.S. stocks slipped on Wednesday on disappointment that the Federal Reserve offered no new measures to stimulate the economy. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 32.55 points, or 0.25 percent, at 12,976.13. The S&P 500 Index slipped 4.00 points, or 0.29 percent, at 1,375.32. The Nasdaq Composite lost 19.31 points, or 0.66 percent, at 2,920.21.

The Federal Reserve stopped short of offering new monetary stimulus on Wednesday even as it signaled more strongly that further bond buying could be in store to help a economic recovery that it said had lost momentum this year.

Senior British government figures are discussing the possibility of buying out private investors in Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS.L), the Financial Times reported on Thursday.

U.S. companies hired more workers than expected in July, but continued weakness in the manufacturing sector pointed to sluggish economic growth. The ADP National Employment Report showed private employers created 163,000 jobs in July, more than the 120,000 that had been expected though slightly less than June’s 172,000. June was originally reported as 176,000.

The United States raised the pressure on euro zone leaders to take decisive action on solving the region’s debt crisis, notably by lowering troubled members’ borrowing costs, on the eve of a crucial European Central Bank meeting.

Toyota Motor Corp said on Wednesday it is recalling about 760,000 Toyota RAV4 utility vehicles and 18,000 Lexus HS 250h hybrid vehicles in the United States to correct a defect in rear suspension.