Stocks Mostly Down after Record-setting Run

U.S. stocks mostly fell on Thursday, a day after stocks surged to record highs following the Federal Reserve’s decision to continue its stimulus of the economy. The Dow industrials were off 40.39 points, or 0.26%, at
15,636.55. The S&P 500 index fell 3.18 points, or 0.18%, to 1,722.34. The Nasdaq Composite gained 5.74 points, or 0.15%, to 3,789.38.

The Federal Reserve has given emerging-market investors an unusual reprieve: the chance to prepare for tapering that they didn’t get the first time around.

Sales of previously owned U.S. homes unexpectedly rose in August to the highest level in more than six years as buyers rushed to lock in interest rates before they increased further.

A U.S. court has taken the rare step of halting Vivendi SA’s $8.2 billion deal to sell most of its stake in Activision Blizzard Inc back to the U.S. videogame publisher, but the move is unlikely to kill the transaction,
according to analysts and legal experts.

The Canadian government hopes BlackBerry Ltd will be able to make it on its own, Industry Minister James Moore said on Thursday.