Stock Market Live Updates: Asian markets drop on hawkish Federal Reserve signals and China stress

Wall Street ended lower on Wednesday after the Federal Reserve’s minutes showed central bank officials were divided over the need for more interest rate hikes at their last meeting.

The minutes of the Fed’s July monetary policy meeting showed most policymakers continue to prioritize the battle against inflation, adding to uncertainty among investors about the outlook for interest rates.

The Nasdaq Composite dropped 156.42 points, or 1.15%, to 13,474.63, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 180.65 points, or 0.52%, to 34,765.74 points.