NEW YORK — The stock market fell for a fifth straight day Wednesday as investors set aside the Federal Reserve’s interest rate decision and remained focused on next week’s vote on whether Britain will remain in the European Union.
The Dow Jones industrial average fell 34.65 points, or 0.2 percent, to 17,640.17. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index fell 3.82 points, or 0.2 percent, to 2,071.50 and the Nasdaq composite fell 8.62 points, or 0.2 percent, to 4,834.93.
Bond prices remained high, keeping yields low. The yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note fell to 1.58 percent from 1.61 percent a day earlier. Bond investors said the uncertainty about the British vote has forced European investors to buy up U.S. government bonds in a search for yield and security, pushing bond yields to their lowest levels in years.
Benchmark U.S. crude oil fell 48 cents to close at $48.01 a barrel in New York. The price has fallen 6.3 percent over the last five days. Brent crude fell 86 cents to close at $48.97 a barrel in London.
