New York (CNN) — Stocks moved lower on Wednesday as the US government officially entered a shutdown and Wall Street grappled with the uncertain implications for the economy.

The Dow fell 40 points, or 0.1%. The broader S&P 500 fell 0.4% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite slipped 0.6%.

The government at midnight officially shut down for the first time in seven years after lawmakers failed to agree on a funding bill.

The gridlock on Capitol Hill is set to put many federal employees out of work indefinitely, in addition to stoking uncertainty about the fate of regularly scheduled releases of key economic data.

Stocks dipped lower while gold, a safe haven during uncertainty, rallied as investors adjusted to the reality of a government shutdown.

While stocks were lower, history shows

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