US stocks fall for 5th straight session, Dow Jones loses 150 points

US stocks ended Thursday in the negative territory, as investors assess the monetary policy prospects and await a key speech from the Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell at the annual Jackson Hole economic symposium later today.

At close, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.34% (152 points) to 44,785 points. The S&P 500 declined 0.40%, or 25 points, to 6,370 points, marking its fifth straight losing session, while the Nasdaq Composite dropped 0.34% (72 points) to 21,100 points.

Elsewhere, the Stoxx Europe 600 was flat at 559 points, as gains in pharmaceutical stocks offset weakness in autos. The UK’s FTSE 100 edged up 0.23% to 9,309, while Germany’s DAX was steady at 24,293. France’s CAC 40, however, slipped 0.44% to 7,938.

In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei 225 lost 0.65% to 42,610, while the broader Topix index shed 0.50% to 3,082 points.

Brent crude futures for October delivery rose 1.25%, or 83 cents, to settle at $67.67 a barrel.

US WTI crude futures for October delivery — the most actively traded contract — gained 1.3%, or 81 cents, to $63.52 a barrel.

As for precious metals, December gold futures slipped 0.20%, or $6.90, to settle at $3,381.60 per ounce.