A trader works on the floor of the NYSE in New YorkThomson Reuters US stocks ended lower on Wednesday as traders anxiously wait for new inflation data. PCE inflation, the Fed's preferred measure, will be published on Thursday morning. The figures will be important in determining the path of interest rate this year. US stocks slumped on Wednesday as traders eyed upcoming inflation data and continued to assess the outlook for rate cuts this year.Major averages ended the day with a loss, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average loggging its third straight losing session.All eyes will be on the Personal Consumption Expenditures index on Thursday, which is the Federal Reserve's preferred measure of inflation.