Major US stock indices fell slightly amid fears that a partial US deal with China, which US President Trump announced on Friday, could break.
Pressure on the market was also exerted by stocks of energy companies amid falling oil prices by more than 2%, which, according to some analysts, is associated with weakening hopes for a trade deal between the US and China.
Bloomberg said this morning that informed sources are reporting that Chinese officials are reluctant to sign the “first phase” of the deal, announced on Friday by the US president, without further discussion. According to them, at the end of this month, China may send a delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister Liu He to agree on details before President Xi Jinping agrees to sign a partial deal. Beijing also wants Washington to also cancel the planned tariff increase in December in addition to the planned increase this week.
Meanwhile, US Treasury Secretary Stephen Mnuchin told CNBC today that if the US does not enter into a trade deal with China before December 15, they will introduce tariffs on Chinese goods, but added that he hopes for a deal. According to him, the parties reached a fundamental agreement in principle, but there remain a number of issues that still need to be worked out.
Investors are also preparing for the start of the corporate reporting season for the third quarter, which starts on Tuesday with the publication of the results of the largest banks - Citigroup (C), Goldman Sachs (GS), J.P. Morgan Chase (JPM) and Wells Fargo (WFC). According to FactSet, analysts expect S&P 500 earnings to fall 4.6% in the third quarter from the same period last year.
DOW components completed trading mixed (17 in the red, 13 in the red). Outsiders were shares of Cisco Systems, Inc. (CSCO; -1.18%). The biggest gainers were 3M Company shares (MMM .; + 1.45%).
All S&P sectors recorded a decline. The conglomerate sector showed the largest decline (-1.1%).
At the time of closing:
Dow 26,786.95 -29.64 -0.11%
S&P 500 2,966.18 -4.09 -0.14%
Nasdaq 100 8,048.65 -8.39 -0.10%