New Delhi, Oct. 1 -- American equities edged lower on Wednesday, following the release of much weaker-than-expected private payroll data.

The drop also reflected wider market uncertainty regarding the Federal Reserve's insight into the broader economy, which was hampered by the ongoing government shutdown.

At the open, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 31.1 points, or 0.07%, to 46,366.78. The S&P 500 fell 23.5 points, or 0.35%, to 6,664.92, while the Nasdaq Composite dropped 129.1 points, or 0.57%, to 22,530.946.

Private sector employment shed 32,000 jobs in September, said payroll firm ADP.

Nike stock jumped 3.9 percent after the shoe maker reported better than expected results.

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