US stocks weighed down by sell-off in healthcare sector

Major US equity indices opened with minor losses on Wednesday and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) retreated after briefly moving closer to record levels, having recorded yet another record close in the previous session.

At the time of reporting, DJIA added 5-point and rose to 19,257, while the broader S&P 500 index inched down by around 3-points to 2,209. On the other hand, tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index underperformed broader market and fell nearly 0.5%, or 25-points, and was inching closer to 5,300 mark. 

A sell-off in the healthcare sector, after the US president-elect, Donald Trump, said that he would lower drug prices, has been the key sector weighing on broader markets.

Meanwhile, the Volatility Index (VIX) has now dropped below 12.00 level and is clearly pointing to strong investors' appetite for riskier assets - like equities. Hence, the ongoing rally in equity market seems unlikely to halt and all corrective slide might now be utilized to position for continuation of the current bull-run, thus limiting any immediate sharp downslide in equity markets.