The Dow Has Gone 49 Straight Sessions Without a Three-day Win Streak

The Dow Jones Industrial Average finished slightly lower on Thursday, with the gauge failing to put together its third straight gain. After two finishes in the green on Tuesday and Wednesday, breaking through with a third finish in the green would have marked the blue-chip benchmark's longest win streak since the period ended Feb. 27, when the Dow went 12 consecutive days in positive territory--then its longest such streak since 1987. However, since that period, stocks have moved in fits and starts amid doubts about President Donald Trump's pro-market agenda, with the Dow going 49 straight trading sessions without a three-day string of positive returns. Thursday's stock market slip came as shares of Dow components Caterpillar Inc. and Chevron Corp. finished sharply lower, driven into negative territory by a sharp drop in U.S. crude-oil prices . Trading action also follows the Houses passage of a health bill to replace Obamacare. More broadly, the S&P 500 index ended flat at 2,389, while the Nasdaq Composite Index also closed near the break-even at 6,075.