The broad S&P 500 index fell 0.5 percent, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.1 percent, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite index fell 1.0 percent.
Shares in the major bank Wells Fargo, whose latest quarterly figures missed analysts' forecasts, fell 4.6 percent. Competitor Bank of America fell 3.8 percent, despite reporting higher-than-expected profits. A third banking giant, Citigroup, lost 3.3 percent.
Other decliners were Nvidia and Broadcom. The two chip giants fell 1.4 percent and 4.2 percent, respectively.
Energy stocks such as Exxon Mobil and Chevron were the winners, rising 2.9 percent and 2.1 percent, respectively, as crude oil prices rose for most of Wednesday. However, oil prices fell in the final hour of trading after U.S. President Donald Trump indicated the country would not attack Iran.
