Dow Jones industrial average Wednesday, Walmart bad news

Wal-Mart Store, Inc., Chief Executive Officer Doug McMillon said firm expects profit to fall for its next fiscal year and cut its sales outlook for this year. (AP Photo/Danny Johnston, File)

U.S. stocks closed lower Wednesday, led by declines in retailers after a disappointing earnings forecast by Wal-Mart. Investors were also sizing up a batch of mixed earnings from the nation's biggest banks.

On Tuesday:

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 157.14 points, or 0.9 percent, to close at 16,924.75.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index dropped 9.45 points, or 0.5 percent, to 1,994.24.

The Nasdaq composite declined 13.76 points, or 0.3 percent, to 4,782.85.

For the week:

The Dow is down 159.74 points, or less than 0.9 percent.

The S&P 500 index is down 20.65 points, or 1 percent.

The Nasdaq is down 47.62 points, or 1 percent.

For the year:

The Dow is down 898.32 points, or 5 percent.

The S&P 500 index is down 64.66 points, or 3.1 percent.

The Nasdaq is up 46.79 points, or 1 percent.

Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

The Gayly – October 14, 2015 @ 4:45pm.