Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500 Index And Nasdaq Composite Close Lower Ahead Of Retail Sales

U.S. stocks closed slightly lower Wednesday following a major sell-off a day earlier over fears of a springtime interest rate hike from the Federal Reserve. The Federal Open Market Committee is scheduled to hold a two-day policy meeting March 17-18, followed by a press conference from Fed Chair Janet Yellen. Economists will be looking for clues from the meeting as to when the central bank plans to hike rates.