Stocks End Lower as Shutdown Drags On

U.S. stocks ended lower on Wednesday on the second day of a partial U.S. government shutdown shortly before congressional leaders and President Obama were scheduled to meet.The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 58.56 points, or 0.39%, to 15,133.14. The S&P 500
finished down 1.13 points, or 0.07%, at 1,693.87. The Nasdaq Composite declined 2.96 points, or 0.08%, to close at 3,815.02,

The Federal Reserve is being careful not to place too great a burden on smaller banks as it seeks to beef up regulation of the financial system, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke said on Wednesday.

The possibility of a second offer for BlackBerry Ltd reversed a slide in its stock price on Wednesday after the struggling smartphone maker said it expected to record $400 million in pre-tax charges related to cuts announced last month.