U.S. stocks ended mixed on Wednesday after the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a sharper-than-expected decline in job openings for November 2025, underscoring a gradual cooling in labor demand.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.94 percent to 48,996.08. The S and P 500 fell 0.34 percent to 6,920.93. The Nasdaq Composite Index edged up 0.16 percent to 23,584.28.
Eight of the 11 primary S and P 500 sectors closed lower, with utilities and industrials leading declines of 2.46 percent and 1.9 percent, respectively. Health care and communication services outperformed, rising 1.01 percent and 0.79 percent, respectively.
The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey showed U.S. job openings falling to 7.15 million in November, the lowest level in over a year, from a revised 7.45 million in October and well below economists' forecasts.
Energy shares continued to face pressure as oil prices extended Tuesday's losses after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Venezuelan authorities would transfer 30 million to 50 million barrels of previously sanctioned oil to the United States.
Meanwhile, real estate investment trusts with exposure to single-family rentals in the United States tumbled after Trump stated that he was taking steps to "ban large institutional investors from buying more" of such properties, citing their role in driving up housing costs for average U.S. people.
Invitation Homes, the nation's largest single-family home landlord, plunged 6.01 percent, while Blackstone and Apollo Global Management both fell more than 5 percent.
In the semiconductor space, Nvidia rose 1 percent while AMD declined 2.02 percent, after both companies unveiled new AI computing platforms at the 2026 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Intel surged 6.47 percent to lead gains in the Nasdaq.
U.S. stocks close mixed as November job openings fall below expectations
China's Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao outlined the key priorities of the 32nd Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministers Responsible for Trade Meeting, which opened on Friday in Suzhou, East China's Jiangsu province.
In an interview with CGTN ahead of the two-day meeting, Wang said free trade, digital cooperation and green economy are high on the agenda of the meeting.
"The key areas include advancing regional economic integration and the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific, supporting the World Trade Organization (WTO) in strengthening digital cooperation and developing green economy. At present, the international situation is marked by intertwined turbulence and chaos, with intensified geopolitical instability. The rise of unilateralism and protectionism poses serious challenges to the international economic and trade order, disrupting global and Asia-Pacific development. Against this backdrop, all parties have higher expectations for this trade ministers' meeting, hoping that it can build consensus and deliver outcomes," Wang said.
This year marks China's third time hosting the APEC meetings and the 35th anniversary of its membership.
By 2025, China had become the largest trading partner of 13 APEC economies. Trade between China and APEC economies reached 3.7 trillion U.S. dollars, accounting for 57.8 percent of China's total foreign trade.
China has signed 24 free trade agreements or economic and trade arrangements with 31 countries and regions, including 15 APEC economies. In recent years, China has also completed upgrades of free trade agreements with APEC economies such as Singapore and Peru.
The minister said that China has always been a firm supporter and an important contributor to APEC.
"We have actively shared our vast market and development opportunities with all parties. China's door to the world will only open wider and wider. Facing the common challenges, China will continue to fulfill its responsibilities as a major country, further deepen reform, expand high-standard opening-up, and continue to provide new opportunities for the Asia-Pacific region and the world with its new achievements in Chinese modernization," the minister said.
China's Commerce Minister outlines priorities for 32nd APEC trade ministers' meeting
