US stocks finished August with slight losses, weighed down by energy stocks, as crude oil prices fell sharply. The Dow Jones dropped 53.42 points to 18400.88. 

    The S&P 500 index was down 5.17 points to 2170.95, while the Nasdaq index lost 9.77 to 5213.22. Elsewhere, the Stoxx Europe 600 declined 0.4% Wednesday and rose 0.5% in August, its second consecutive month of gains. 

    Japanese shares rose 1% Wednesday as the yen fell against the dollar, benefiting the country’s exporters. Japan’s Nikkei Stock Average rose for the second month in a row, adding 1.9% in August