How major US stock indexes fared Wednesday, 6/18/2025

Key Points

• The Federal Reserve signaled it may cut interest rates twice this year but remains uncertain as it waits to see the impact of tariffs on the economy.
• The S&P 500 closed nearly flat at 5,980.87, the Dow fell 0.1%, and the Nasdaq rose 0.1% amid the Fed’s cautious tone.
• Treasury yields held steady while oil prices swung higher and lower amid fighting between Israel and Iran.
• On the week, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq posted small gains, but year to date the S&P is up 1.7% and the Russell 2000 is down 5.3%.

U.S. stocks drifted after the Federal Reserve indicated it may cut interest rates twice this year, though it’s far from certain about that.

The S&P 500 ended basically flat Wednesday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite rose 0.1%.

Treasury yields also wavered but ultimately held relatively steady after Fed Chair Jerome Powell said the central bank is still waiting to see what the effects of tariffs will be on the economy before deciding its next moves on interest rates. The price of oil swung in its latest yo-yo moves amid fighting between Israel and Iran.

On Wednesday:

The S&P 500 fell 1.85 points, or less than 0.1%, to 5,980.87.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 44.14 points, or 0.1%, to 42,171.66.

The Nasdaq composite rose 25.18 points, or 0.1%, to 19,546.27.

The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies rose 11 points, or 0.5%, to 2,112.96.

For the week:

The S&P 500 is up 3.90 points, or 0.1%.

The Dow is down 26.13 points, or 0.1%.

The Nasdaq is up 139.45 points, or 0.7%.

The Russell 2000 is up 12.46 points, or 0.6%.

For the year:

The S&P 500 is up 99.24 points, or 1.7%.

The Dow is down 372.56 points, or 0.9%.

The Nasdaq is up 235.48 points, or 1.2%.

The Russell 2000 is down 117.19 points, or 5.3%.