·         The Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI fell 53.36 points, or 0.24 percent, to 22,359.23, the S&P 500 .SPX lost 7.64 points, or 0.30 percent, to 2,500.6 and the Nasdaq Composite .IXIC dropped 33.35 points, or 0.52 percent, to 6,422.69.

U.S. stock indexes slipped on Thursday as investors braced for a third interest rate hike this year and the United States ordered new sanctions against North Korea.

The S&P and the Dow snapped a run of record closing highs and Apple (AAPL.O) was the biggest drag on the three major indexes with a 1.7 percent drop on worries about demand for its latest smartphone.

·         U.S. President Donald Trump opened the door to blacklisting people and entities doing business with North Korea, further tightening the screws on Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile programs.

·         The CBOE Volatility Index .VIX closing at its lowest level in nearly two months at 9.67, Peter Cecchini, chief market strategist at Cantor Fitzgerald in New York, said the market is not reflecting risks such as U.S.-North Korea tensions and high valuations.

·         “The Fed had investors on edge already. Ratcheting up of North Korea tensions can put investors in a little more of a risk-off mode,” said Chris Zaccarelli, chief investment officer at Cornerstone Financial Partners, in Huntersville, NC.

·         Asian shares searched for direction on Friday after Wall Street edged down as markets digested the prospect of an additional rate hike this year.

·         Japan's Nikkei 225 rose 0.19 percent in early trade as manufacturing stocks climbed. Automakers and tech names were mixed.

·         Across the Korean Strait, the Kospi was off 0.09 percent. Blue chip tech names gained, but the broader index was dragged by heavy losses in manufacturing shares. Samsung Electronics was up 1.02 percent and SK Hynix gained 0.72 percent, but Posco fell 3.16 percent.

Reference: Reuters, CNBC