Dow ends down, S&P 500 flat as Powell says December rate cut far from assured

In earlier trading, stocks rose and then added to gains after the Fed cut interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point, as expected, and said it will restart limited purchases of Treasury securities. Fed policymakers also noted the limits in their decision-making process due to the U.S. federal government shutdown. The Fed lowered the overnight benchmark rate to a target range of 3.75% to 4.00%, the second time the U.S. central bank eased this year. After Powell spoke, traders pared bets on a December ...