Major US stock indices fell slightly, as investors analyzed the mixed quarterly results of the corporate segment, as well as the report of the US President to Congress on the situation in the country.

In his report, Donald Trump mentioned issues such as infrastructure costs, drug prices and trade. He also raised the issue of financing the border wall along the border of the United States and Mexico. Trump reaffirmed his conviction that the United States needed a wall, but did not declare a state of emergency, as he had previously threatened to do. Thus, the president has softened his tone around the financing of the wall on the border with Mexico, but this does not exclude the possibility that the federal government may again suspend work if its demand for financing its construction is not met.

The president also said that China and the United States are working on a new trade deal, but noted that it should “include real structural changes to put an end to unfair trade practices, reduce our chronic trade deficit, and protect American jobs.”

The focus of market participants was also the report of the Ministry of Commerce, which showed that the US trade balance deficit sharply declined in November amid a decline in imports of mobile phones and petroleum products. According to the report, the trade deficit fell in November by 11.5% to $ 49.3 billion. The data for October were revised - $ 55.5 billion by - $ 55.7 billion. Economists had forecast a trade deficit of $ 54.0 billion.

Most of the components of DOW finished trading in positive territory (16 of 30). The growth leader was UnitedHealth Group (UNH, + 1.16%). The outsider was DowDuPont Inc. (DWDP, -1.81%).

Most sectors of the S & P recorded a decline. The largest decline was shown by the base materials sector (-0.7%), the largest growth was by the conglomerates sector (+ 0.3%).

At the time of closing:

Dow 25,389.90 -21.62 -0.09%

S & P 500 2,731.62 -6.08 -0.22%

Nasdaq 100 7,375.28 -26.80 -0.36%

U.S. stock-index were flat on Wednesday after President Donald Trump at his State of the Union speech raised the prospect of another shutdown should his demand for border wall funding not be met. Meanwhile, a raft of upbeat corporate earnings and trade balance data supported the market sentiment.

Global Stocks:

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

DowDuPont (DWDP) downgraded from Outperform to Market Perform at Cowen

Walt Disney (DIS) reported Q4 FY 2018 earnings of $1.84 per share (versus $1.89 in Q4 FY 2017), beating analysts’ consensus estimate of $1.57.

The company’s quarterly revenues amounted to $15.303 bln (-0.3% y/y), generally in line with analysts’ consensus estimate of $15.203 bln.

DIS rose to $113.35 (+0.61%) in pre-market trading.