The S&P 500 closed the first trading day of September near the flatline as the strength in technology shares faded, while investors digested a disappointing employment report.
The Dow Jones Industrials dumped 48.2 points to close the first session of September at 35,312.53.
The S&P 500 eked up 1.41 points to 4,524.09, as losses in energy offset gains in utilities and real estate.
The NASDAQ Composite leaped 50.15 points, to 15,309.38, narrowly achieving a record close. Apple jumped as much as 2% to an all-time
high, but pared gains to about 0.5%.
Among individual equities, solar stock Sunrun surged more than 6% after JPMorgan predicted a comeback that would take the shares 90% higher.
Zoom Video shares rebounded slightly following a 16% plunge Tuesday after Cathie Wood revealed she bought nearly 200,000 shares on the dip.
The major averages all finished higher for the month of August. The S&P 500 rose 2.9% for the month, posting its best winning streak since 2017. The NASDAQ gained about 4% for its third positive month and while the Dow lagged, it still added 1.2%.
Investors digested a disappointing employment report. U.S. companies created far fewer jobs than expected in August with private payrolls rising just 374,000, according to payroll services firm ADP. That is well below the Dow Jones estimate of 600,000.
The report is a precursor to the official August U.S. non-farm payrolls data, which will be released Friday. Economists polled by Dow Jones expect 720,000 jobs were created in August and the unemployment rate fell to 5.2%.
Prices for 10-Year Treasurys were moved higher, lowering yields to 1.30% from Tuesday's 1.31%. Treasury prices and yields move in opposite directions.
Oil prices slid 25 cents to $68.25 U.S. a barrel.
Gold prices fell $1.50 to $1,816.60 U.S. an ounce.