U.S. stocks fell on Wednesday on worry that rising interest rates could stall a recovery in consumer and business spending.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> shed 24.26 points, or 0.28 percent, to close unofficially at 8,738.80. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> dropped 3.28 points, or 0.35 percent, to 939.15. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> fell 7.05 points, or 0.38 percent, to 1,853.08.

(Reporting by Rodrigo Campos; Editing by Leslie Adler)