12:33 PM EDT, 03/26/2025 (MT Newswires) -- US equity indexes fell while government bond yields rose in midday trading Wednesday amid declines led by technology.

The Nasdaq Composite dropped 1.7% to 17,967.5, with the S&P 500 down 0.9% to 5,726.6 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average 0.1% lower at 42,543.3 after midday on Wednesday. Technology, consumer discretionary, communication services, industrials and health care fell intraday. Consumer staples and energy were among the top gainers.

Nvidia (NVDA) and Tesla (TSLA) led the decliners in the Magnificent 7 stocks, giving up some of their gains for this week. Investors are cautious as they await more clarity on the Trump administration's fresh tariffs that will likely take effect April 2, according to a D. A. Davidson note.

Risk appetite isn't being helped by further US tariff developments, Derek Holt, the head of capital market economics at Scotiabank, said in a note, referring to an "expedited move to impose a 25% tariff on copper imports into the US that could be implemented within weeks and hence on a much shorter timeline than previously understood."

In economic news, new orders for US durable goods rose by 0.9% in February following a larger increase of 3.3% in January, compared with expectations for a 1% decrease in a survey compiled by Bloomberg. Excluding a 1.5% gain in transportation orders, new orders would have been up 0.7% in February after a 0.1% increase in January. Expectations were for a 0.2% gain.

Most US Treasury yields rose intraday, with the 10-year yield up 3.4 basis points to 4.34% and the two-year rate two basis points higher at 4.00%.

West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures jumped 1.2% to $69.82 a barrel.