New York - After a topsy-turvy start to the week, US stocks fell only slightly Wednesday as investors awaited the outcome of a Senate vote on the 700-billion-dollar rescue plan.

Stocks were driven down by reports that car sales and manufacturing fell sharply in the last month - signs that the availability of credit was tightening across the country.

The Senate was to vote late Wednesday on an amended version of the massive financial rescue package, which failed to pass the lower House of Representatives on Monday. Congressional leaders voiced confidence the new bill would be approved.

September auto sales in the US fell 27 per cent on average for the six largest automakers compared to the same period last year as consumers struggled to get car loans approved. Ford Motor Co said sales plunged 35 per cent, Toyota Motor Corp reported a 32-per-cent drop.

The Institute for Supply Management's gauge of manufacturing fell to 43.5, the lowest level since the 2001 recession. Any reading below 50 marks a contraction.

The blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 19.59 points, or 0.18 per cent, to 10,831.07. The broad-based Standard and Poor's 500 was down 5.3 points, or 0.45 per cent, to 1,161.06. The Nasdaq Composite Index shed 22.48 points, or 1.07 per cent, to 2,069.40.

The House's failure to pass the rescue package sent stocks to one of their worst trading days ever on Monday. The Dow dropped nearly 7 per cent, but Wall Street rebounded Tuesday on renewed hopes for a deal, with the blue-chip index regaining 4.7 per cent.

The US dollar improved against the euro to 71.34 euro cents from 71.05 euro cents on Tuesday but fell against the Japanese yen to 105.85 yen from 106.33 yen on Tuesday. (dpa)