New York (AFP)

The New York Stock Exchange ended on a hesitant note on Friday, investors pausing after being encouraged by goodwill gestures in Sino-US relations and confirmation of central bank support to the economy.

The Dow Jones, the index of Wall Street, appreciated for the eighth consecutive session, 0.14%, to 27,219.52 points.

The Nasdaq, with strong technological color, fell by 0.22% to 8,176.71 points and the expanded S & P 500 index dropped 0.07% to 3,007.39 points.

"The indices are quietly up all week and are close to their record," recalls Adam Sarhan, 50 Park Investment. That investors delay Friday "is a normal and healthy situation," he says. especially before the upcoming meeting of the US Federal Reserve on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The leaders of the US central bank must decide during their meeting if they bring an extra boost to the economy.

Financial market players expect a very large majority to lower interest rates by 25 basis points. Especially since the European Central Bank (ECB) released Thursday the big game to boost growth in the euro zone by unveiling a broad program ranging from a resumption of asset purchases to a rate cut, through a system degressive rates and giant loans granted to banks.

These announcements "have helped ease worries about the global economic environment," Quincy Krosby of Prudential said, pointing to a rise in bond yields, a sign that investors are moving away from assets deemed less risky. .

In the bond market, the 10-year rate on US debt rose to 20:20 GMT to 1.903% against 1.772% the day before closing.

The key market driver, however, remains, according to Krosby, the evolution of relations between Washington and Beijing.

In the run-up to new trade talks in October, China on Friday announced a new round of customs surcharge exemptions, this time applying to some US agricultural products - dear to Donald Trump.

This new crown a series of gestures of appeasement between the first two world powers, engaged since last year in a trade war.

Another encouraging signal Friday: retail sales in the United States continued to show their dynamism in August according to the figures of the Department of Commerce.

Driven mostly by car sales, the retail and restaurant sales index was up 0.4% from July, exceeding analysts' expectations.

© 2019 AFP