U.S. stock indices ended trading on Thursday in the negative. Nasdaq Composite fell by 2.5% following a significant decline in quotations of shares of technology companies. Investors were evaluating the results of the last meetings of the heads of the world’s largest central banks this year, as well as numerous statistical data.

The Fed on Wednesday kept the interest rate in the range of 0% to 0.25% per annum, as expected. The Fed also said it would reduce asset purchases by $30 billion. Based on published forecasts, all U.S. central bank governors expect an interest rate hike in 2022, with 10 of the 18 members expecting three prime rate hikes next year.

The Bank of England on Thursday unexpectedly raised its benchmark rate to 0.25% per annum from 0.1%. Consensus forecasts generally did not foresee a change in the parameters of monetary policy, but many analysts allowed the possibility of a rate hike at the December meeting. Meanwhile, the European Central Bank expectedly kept its benchmark lending rate at zero. The number of homes started in the U.S. in November increased by 11.8% from the previous month and amounted to 1.679 million at an annualized rate, the country’s Commerce Department reported on Thursday.

Experts predicted an increase in the number of new buildings in the U.S. in November to 1.568 million. The number of Americans who applied for unemployment benefits for the first time last week increased by 18,000 – to 206,000 people, according to the report of the U.S. Department of Labor. Analysts on average expected the number of applications to increase to 200 thousand. The volume of industrial production in the U.S. in November increased by 0.5% compared to the previous month, the Federal Reserve reported. Analysts polled by Trading Economics had on average forecast a 0.7% increase.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 29.79 points (0.08%) to 35897.64 points on Thursday.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 fell 41.18 (0.87%) to 4668.67 points at the end of trading.

Nasdaq Composite fell by 385.15 points (2.47%), amounting to 15180.43 points at the close.

Quotes of shares of Delta Air Lines fell at the end of trading by 2.2%, although at the beginning of the session were growing. The airline said its profitability and earnings per share will exceed pre-pandemic levels by 2024.

It also improved its outlook for the fourth quarter of this year and now expects its adjusted pretax profit to be $200 million. Lennar Corp.’s stock price fell 4.1%.

One of the largest construction companies in the U.S. in the fourth fiscal quarter (September-November) increased net income by 35%, revenue – by 17%, however, the indicators were worse than analysts’ expectations. Adobe Inc. in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021 reduced net income by 45% and gave a weak outlook for the current quarter and year.

This caused a fall in the quotations of securities of the world’s largest developer of software for image processing by more than 10%.

Among the components of the Dow Jones index, the most heavily depreciated securities of representatives of the technology sector Apple Inc. – by 3.9%, Microsoft Corp. – down 2.9%, Salesforce.com Inc. – by 2.7%, as well as Boeing Co. – by 2.4%.

In addition, Tesla down significantly by 5%, Skyworks Solutions Inc. – by 8.5%, Nvidia Corp. – by 6.8%, Advanced Micro Devices by 5.4%.

Accenture’s share price, meanwhile, rose 6.7%.

The consulting company increased net income by 20% in the first quarter of fiscal 2022 (September-November) and improved its full-financial-year outlook. Genuine Parts Co. which distributes automotive and industrial parts, office products and electrical equipment, announced that it will buy Karman Distribution Group for $1.3 billion from private equity firm Littlejohn & Co. Genuine Parts shares rose 2.3% on the news.