Stocks Ended Sharply Lower; Canadian Shooting Cited

U.S. stocks ended sharply lower on Wednesday. as investors considered the fatal shooting of a soldier in Ottawa. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 153.49 points, or 0.92%, to 16,461.32. The S&P 500 slipped 14.17 points, or 0.73%, to 1,927.11. The Nasdaq Composite slipped 36.63 points, or 0.83%, to 4,382.85.

A military guard died after getting shot at the National War Memorial in Ottawa, with multiple rounds then reportedly fired at the adjacent Parliament building. The gunfire followed increased worry about terrorist attacks in Canada, where a radical jihadist ran over two soldiers in a suburb of Montreal on Monday, killing one.

Federal Housing Finance Agency director Mel Watt on Tuesday unveiled new regulations that would make
it easier for Americans to buy a house with little or no money down. The rules are aimed at private lenders who opposed a proposal that borrowers make a 20% down payment.

Yelp Inc. (YELP) on Wednesday reported a third-quarter profit of $3.6 million, or 5 cents a share, on revenue of $102.5 million. During the year-ago period, Yelp lost $2.3 million, or 4 cents a share, on $61.2 million in the third quarter of 2013.

AT&T Inc. lowered its revenue outlook for the year, pointing to fewer-than-expected customers signing up for its no-contract Next plans that require consumers to pay full price for their smartphones. The telecom giant (T) now expects revenue to increase 3% to 4% this year, versus its previous call for a 5% increase.

Visa Inc. (V) said Wednesday it’s raising its quarterly dividend by 20% to 48 cents a share. The new dividend will be payable to shareholders of record as of Nov. 14.