S&P 500, Nasdaq close slightly higher; Dow dips

The S&P 500 and Nasdaq closed higher on Wednesday after data showing services industry growth slowed further in March, but the advance was limited after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell indicated a cut in interest was not coming right away.

Powell reaffirmed in a speech on Wednesday that the Fed will stick to its wait-and-see approach as it considers when to start cutting rates given the continued strength of the economy and recent higher-than-expected inflation data.

Earlier on Wednesday, data from the Institute for Supply Management showed that non-manufacturing PMI declined for the second straight month to 51.4 in March, down from 52.6 in February, and weaker than analysts had expected, according to a Reuters poll.

A reading above 50 indicates growth in the services industry, and the data still indicates the economy continues to expand, though at a moderate pace.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 43.1 points, or 0.11%, to 39,127.14; the S&P 500 gained 5.68 points, or 0.11%, to 5,211.49; and the Nasdaq Composite added 37.01 points, or 0.23%, to 16,277.46.

TSA PreCheck program adds 8 international airlines

Eight new international airlines have joined the TSA PreCheck program, allowing eligible passengers flying to destinations like Tahiti or the Bahamas to enjoy a faster airport security screening process, the Transportation Security Administration announced last week.

The recently added airlines are Air Premia, Air Tahiti Nui, Air Transat, Bahamasair, BermudAir, Iberia, La Compagnie and New Pacific Airlines.

The recently added airlines bring the total airlines participating in the Trusted Traveler Program to almost 100, the announcement said.