New York (AFP)

Wall Street closed without direction on Monday at the start of a week whose culmination should be the meeting between US Presidents Trump and Chinese Xi this weekend, while a trade war rages between Beijing and Washington.

According to final results at closing, its flagship index, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, advanced 0.03% to 26,727.54 points.

The Nasdaq index, with a strong technological color, lost 0.32% at 8,005.70 points.

The broad index S & P 500 dropped 0.17% to 2,945.35 points.

"Little news has influenced the market, everyone is waiting for the G20 meeting" between the two US and Chinese heads of state, said Bill Lynch of Hinsdale Associates.

"We expect little, but not a new escalation of tension," added the specialist.

Market participants appeared to be cautious in the run-up to the Trump-Xi summit, having repeatedly expressed in recent months their optimism about an impending trade deal when leaders of both countries were to meet.

- disappointed hopes -

These hopes of commercial relaxation have been disappointed most of the time.

Investor caution Monday came after a week of euphoria in the markets, helped by the accommodating tone of US (Fed) and European (ECB) central banks. Over the week, the Dow Jones rose by 2.4%, the Nasdaq by 3.0% and the S & P 500 by 2.2%.

While keeping interest rates at the same level, the Fed reported at the end of its meeting Wednesday that it no longer removed the idea of ​​a relaxation of its monetary policy, especially if inflation remained at levels as low and if the trade war with China ignited more.

This rhetoric delighted the markets but less Donald Trump, who severely took part in the institution Monday in a series of morning tweets. The Fed is a "stubborn child" who refuses to lower interest rates to stimulate growth and counter US competitors, the president said.

Among the values ​​of the day, Caesars Entertainment took 14.51%. The casino operator Eldorado Resorts announced Monday its merger with his rival made popular by Canadian star Celine Dion who has notably performed in one of its luxury hotels in Las Vegas, the Caesars Palace, for 16 years.

However, the Caesars Entertainment share price ended at $ 11.44, well below the $ 12.75 Eldorado share price.

FedEx lost 2.69%. For the second time in less than a month, the US courier is being fingered by Beijing following a routing incident involving Huawei, the Chinese telecom giant in the heart of a standoff between China and United States.

Coca-Cola gained 0.72%. The International Olympic Committee announced Monday the signature of a joint partnership agreement with the manufacturer of soft drinks and the Chinese dairy product manufacturer Mengniu, presented as the first of its kind.

Amazon took 0.14%. The American giant announced Monday the opening of a store for beauty professionals, including stylists and barbers, and the sale of products generally available in spas. The companies specialized in wholesale cosmetics have logically fallen after this announcement, like Sally Beauty who plunged 16.78%.

In the bond market, the US 10-year borrowing rate was 2.018% at around 2050 GMT against 2.054% Friday at the close.

? 2019 AFP