The New York Stock Exchange closed the day with a decline. At closing, the Dow Jones index fell by 0.22 percent to 42,141.54 points, the S&P 500 index dropped by 0.33 percent to 5,813.93 points, and the Nasdaq index retreated by 0.49 percent to 18,620.26 points. Negative trends prevailed in the markets at the closing. The U.S. economy grew by 2.8 percent in the third quarter of the year, falling below expectations. During the same period, consumer spending showed an increase of 3.7 percent, reaching the highest level since the first quarter of 2023. Analysts noted that the data indicated a stable growth trend in the U.S. economy ahead of the upcoming presidential elections. Highlighting that the increase in consumer spending supported the economy, analysts expressed that these developments strengthened expectations of a “soft landing” in the economy. According to the data released today, private sector employment in the U.S. increased by 233,000 people in October, surpassing expectations. Analysts noted that these data supported the possibility of a quarter-point interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve at its meeting next week. On the bond front, the yield on the U.S. 10-year Treasury bond stabilized at 4.28 percent. On the corporate side, company balance sheets continue to be in focus for investors. Alphabet’s shares gained 2.9 percent after exceeding expectations for third-quarter revenue and profit. Despite announcing that it would lay off 1,400 people, Visa achieved higher profits than expected thanks to strong consumer spending, causing its shares to rise by 2.9 percent. On the other hand, shares of Eli Lilly, whose financial results fell below expectations, declined by 6.3 percent, while shares of semiconductor company AMD, which failed to meet fourth-quarter revenue estimates, lost 10.6 percent. Analysts noted that investors are focused on the financial results that giant companies like Microsoft, Meta, and Starbucks will announce after the market closes.