New York (AFP)
Wall Street closed in a disorganized fashion on Tuesday, waiting to make a more outspoken statement in either direction Wednesday from US central bank boss Jerome Powell, whose comments on rates will be scrutinized.
According to final results at the close, its flagship index, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, fell 0.08% to finish at 26,783.49 points.
The Nasdaq index, with strong technological color, took 0.54% to close at 8,141.73 points.
The broad S & P 500 index advanced 0.12% to 2,979.63 points.
Markets first opened down Tuesday for the third session in a row, before gradually regain some strength during the session, while remaining very indecisive.
Profit-taking continued, according to several market players, a few days after historic records on the three main indices of the rating. These sales are favored by uncertainty about the upcoming decisions of the US central bank.
"A drop in rates or a status quo on the part of the Fed, this is the question investors are asking today," said Adam Sarhan of 50 Park Invesment.
The Fed will have to decide at its July 30-31 meeting if it lowers its interest rates to support the economy, or if it leaves its monetary policy unchanged.
Before this event, his boss Jerome Powell is expected to speak in front of Congress on Wednesday during an intervention that will be widely followed by market players.
Wednesday will also be published the minutes of the last meeting of the central bank, which could also be of a nature to offer some indications on the next decisions of the institution about rates.
On the trade front also very uncertain since a trade war broke out between Beijing and Washington, US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin held talks Tuesday with their Chinese counterparts to try to break the deadlock , said a US official.
In the bond market, the interest rate on US 10-year debt rose to 2.060% against 2.048% the day before closing.
? 2019 AFP