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NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- U.S. stocks fell slightly Wednesday, easing further from the four-year highs reached a day earlier, as investors await the latest minutes from the Federal Reserve meeting and developments out of Europe.
The Dow Jones industrial average, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq all slipped about 0.2%.
Investors will spend most of the day on the sidelines waiting to parse through the minutes of the Fed's last meeting that ended Aug. 1. The minutes will be released around 2 p.m. ET.
While the central bank didn't announce any further stimulus measures at its last meeting, investors will look for clues about whether a new round of quantitative easing could be coming when chairman Ben Bernanke speaks at the Jackson Hole, Wyo., symposium at the end of the month or at the Fed's next meeting in September.
Related: Bernanke's Jackson Hole speech may be a letdown
Investors also continue to keep an eye on Greece, as Prime Minister Antonis Samaras meets with eurozone officials throughout the week. He is expected to push for a two-year extension of the country's bailout program, which would give the government more time to implement difficult reforms and help get the nation's economy back on track.
Analysts say markets will be looking for any comments out of Samaras' meetings for signs of further stimulus measures.
"We are unlikely to get any firm promises on the extension of deadlines or additional funding," said Elisabeth Afseth, fixed income analyst at Investec. "But it is more likely that we get supporting comments about 'great efforts made, difficult economic conditions', though with a warning more need to be done."
Related: Trading volume at 5-year low. Don't panic
U.S. stocks ended lower Tuesday, after the S&P 500 briefly rose above its highest closing level in four years.
World Markets: European stocks were all lower in afternoon trading. Britain's FTSE 100 fell 1.2%, the DAX in Germany slipped 1% and France's CAC 40 shed 1%.
Asian markets closed in the red. The Shanghai Composite lost 0.5%, the Hang Seng in Hong Kong fell 1.1%, and Japan's Nikkei edged lower 0.3%.
Japan's trade deficit in July was wider than expected at ¥517.4 billion ($6.5 billion), as Europe's debt crisis and slower growth in China pressured the country's exports.
Economy: Existing home sales came in at an annual rate of 4.47 million in July, up from June's 4.37 million, according to the National Association of Realtors. The results were below an economists' consensus compiled by Briefing.com.
Companies: Shares of Toll Brothers (TOL) rose after the luxury home builder reported surprisingly strong earnings, signaling further momentum in the U.S. housing market.
Express (EXPR) posted earnings that beating analyst expectations, but net sales fell short of forecasts, sending shares of the apparel retailer lower.
Shares of Williams Sonoma (WSM)surged after the housewares retailer reported better-than-expected second-quarter earnings and raised its forecast for the rest of the year.
American Eagle (AEGP) delivered earnings that were in line with expectations, but the company's forecast for the full year topped Wall Street's forecast.
Dell (DELL, Fortune 500) reported its quarterly results after the closing bell Tuesday. The company posted earnings that beat expectations, but shares slumped on disappointing guidance.
Rival Hewlett-Packard (HPQ, Fortune 500) is on tap to report after Wednesday's close.
Currencies and commodities: The dollar gained ground against the euro, but fell versus the British pound and the Japanese yen.
Oil for October delivery dropped 23 cents to $96.61 a barrel.
Gold futures for December delivery added $1 to $1,643.90 an ounce.
Bonds: The price on the benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury edged higher, pushing the yield down to 1.75% from 1.81% late Tuesday.
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