U.S. stocks fell Thursday, despite the increased likelihood of a September rate cut as well as a healthy outlook from tech giant Meta Platforms, as data raised concerns about slowing economic activity. At 11:18 ET (13:35 GMT), the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 462 points, or 1.13%, the S&P 500 declined 35 points, or 0.6%, and the NASDAQ Composite dropped 156 points, or 0.9%. The decline comes as initial jobless claims increased to 249,000 for the week ended in July 27, higher than expected, while the ISM manufacturing index for July came in at 46.8, below the 48.2 forecast. The data adds to concerns regarding slowing economic activity. Fed says rate cuts are close, flags inflation progress The Fed kept interest rates unchanged at the conclusion of a two-day meeting on Wednesday,