US stocks close lower, post monthly losses

US stocks closed lower on Wednesday, ending September with monthly losses as investors shrugged off new data showing a slowdown in inflation in August and focused instead on the upcoming jobs report amid continued increases in bond yields.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.86%, or 443 points, to 50,906, bringing its September decline to 4.28% and its third-quarter loss to 2.70%.

The broader S&P 500 fell 0.25%, or 19 points, to 7,651, posting a monthly loss of 0.45% but gaining about 2% during the quarter.

Meanwhile, the Nasdaq Composite rose 0.24%, or 63 points, to 26,861, posting monthly and quarterly gains of 1.85% and 2.47%, respectively.

The Stoxx Europe 600 fell 0.50% to 634, recording its first monthly decline in six months in September.

The UK's FTSE 100 fell 0.29% to 10,606, while Germany's DAX declined 0.79% to 25,199 and France's CAC 40 dropped 0.89% to 7,964.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 1.95% to 66,753, while the broader Topix gained 1.67% to 4,108.

In oil markets, November Brent crude futures—which expired today—rose 0.92%, or 94 cents, to $103.53 a barrel.

November Nymex crude futures rose 1.16%, or $1.04, to $90.42 a barrel.

Gold futures for December delivery rose 0.16%, or $7, to $4,186.70 an ounce.

Caution prevailed in the markets as investors awaited the US jobs report, while bond yields climbed to levels not seen in more than two decades amid continued increases in oil prices, despite lower-than-expected inflation data.