The U.S. stock market experienced a slight decline for the second consecutive day, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipping and the S&P 500 and Nasdaq remaining nearly flat. Investors are closely watching the Federal Reserve's December meeting minutes for insights into potential interest rate decisions amid ongoing debates about inflation and the labor market. The tech sector, particularly AI-related companies like Nvidia, Palantir, and AMD, has seen significant gains, with a shift expected towards AI application companies. The pharmaceutical sector, led by Eli Lilly, also showed strong performance.