Major US stock indices decreased slightly as a result of the first trading session of this week, weighed down by the drop in energy and financial stocks.

As it became known today, consumer spending in the US recorded the largest increase in four months in April, and monthly inflation recovered, indicating the strengthening of domestic demand at the beginning of the second quarter, which may allow the Fed to raise rates in June. The Commerce Department reported that consumer spending, accounting for more than two-thirds of the US economy, rose 0.4% in April after a revised increase of 0.3% in March.

In addition, the growth in house prices in March continued to accelerate, creating a problem for the market, which has already experienced slow sales due to rising prices and a shortage of stocks. The housing price index from S & P / Case-Shiller, which covers the whole country, grew by 5.8% per annum in March after an increase of 5.7% in February.

At the same time, the index of consumer confidence from the Conference Board, which declined in April, again deteriorated in May. The index is now 117.9 (1985 = 100), compared with 119.4 in April. The current situation index slightly increased from 140.3 to 140.7, while the index of expectations fell from 105.4 last month to 102.6 in May.

The cost of oil declined by about a percent, reacting to concerns that the decline in production by the world's largest exporters may not be sufficient to get rid of the global overabundance that has been observed for almost three years.

Components of the DOW index finished trading mixed (14 in negative territory, 16 in positive territory). Most fell shares of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (GS, -2.43%). Leader of growth were the shares of Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ, + 1.95%).

Most sectors of the S & P index recorded a decline. The sector of main materials fell most of all (-0.8%). The leader of growth was the utilities sector (+ 0.3%).

At closing:

DJIA -0.25% 21,027.79 -52.49

Nasdaq -0.11% 6,203.19 -7.00

S & P -0.12% 2,412.86 -2.96

U.S. stock-index futures were flat after the three-day holiday weekend as investors assessed a report on personal income and spending for April.

Stocks:

Nikkei 19,677.85 -4.72 -0.02%

Hang Seng -

Shanghai -

S&P/ASX 5,717.89 +10.81 +0.19%

FTSE 7,511.86 -35.77 -0.47%

CAC 5,297.42 -35.05 -0.66%

DAX 12,618.10 -10.85 -0.09%

Crude $49.42 (-0.76%)

Gold $1,259.20 (-0.70%)

(company / ticker / price / change ($/%) / volume)

AT&T (T) upgraded to Neutral from Sell at MoffettNathanson

European stocks kicked off the week in slightly negative territory on Monday, with market holidays in the U.S. and U.K. denting trading volumes.

Asia equity markets had a muted beginning to the week, with holidays set to slow activity world-wide, as investors shrugged off North Korea's latest missile launch. North Korea fired an unidentified projectile within about 320 kilometers of Japan's coastline, marking the third week in a row that it has launched a missile. "The market is quite desensitized" at this point, said Jingyi Pan, a market strategist at IG Group. Monday's launch occurred as markets in China and Taiwan are closed for holidays. Markets in the U.K. and U.S. will also be closed for holidays.

(index / closing price / change items /% change)

Nikkei -4.27 19682.57 -0.02%

TOPIX +0.79 1570.21 +0.05%

Hang Seng +62.36 25701.63 +0.24%

CSI 300 -5.23 3480.43 -0.15%

Euro Stoxx 50 -0.07 3578.95 +0.00%

FTSE 100 +29.92 7547.63 +0.40%

DAX +26.77 12628.95 +0.21%

CAC 40 -4.17 5332.47 -0.08%

DJIA -2.67 21080.28 -0.01%

S&P 500 +0.75 2415.82 +0.03%

NASDAQ +4.94 6210.19 +0.08%

S&P/TSX +4.98 15421.91 +0.03%