US stocks tick lower, 20,000 mark still elusive for Dow

Major US equity indices opened marginally lower on Wednesday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) still flirting with the elusive 20,000 psychologically important milestone. 

At the time of reporting, DJIA slipped around 10-points to 19965, while the broader S&P 500 Index declined meager 2-point to 2268. Meanwhile, tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index lost 6-point to 5,477.

The second half of December has been historically slow time for the markets and today's relatively quieter activity in the markets suggest that investors have started winding down their positions / lock-in some profits ahead of the holiday season. Following Donald Trump's surprise victory in the US presidential election, US stocks have been roaring and all the three major indices are now set to post yearly gains of around 10%. 

Majority of the yearly gains have come following Donald Trump's surprise victory in the US presidential election. Markets remain convinced that Trump administration's aggressive fiscal policies would lead to faster US economic growth and would justify the current lofty valuations in the market.