New York (AFP)

The New York Stock Exchange certainly finished in the red Thursday after disappointing indicators on the American economy but recorded in April its best month for several decades.

Its star index, the Dow Jones, lost 1.17% to finish at 24.345.72 points, the Nasdaq, with a strong technological coloring, dropped 0.28% to close at 8.889.55 points and the S&P 500 fell by 0.92% to finish at 2,912.43 points.

Over the month, the Dow Jones appreciated by 11.1% and the S&P 500 by 12.7%, the two indices recording their best monthly performance since 1987. The Nasdaq rose 15.4%, its best month since 2000.

The indicators released Thursday were rather ominous for the US economy.

According to the Labor Department, 3.8 million people registered unemployed over a week.

In total, with massive containment measures to stem the spread of the virus that have put economic activity on hold, more than 30 million people have filed for benefits since mid-March.

The Commerce Department also reported that consumer spending fell 7.5% in the country in March and that personal income fell 2%.

But for Quincy Krosby, investment advisor for Prudential Financial, the indices have mostly declined after the sharp increase in recent days, investors taking advantage "to adjust their portfolios at the end of the month and take some profits".

If the stock market displays such good health despite the multiplication of statistics reflecting an economy hard hit by the pandemic, it is above all thanks to the infallible support of the American central bank (Fed), estimates the specialist.

"Market players expect the Fed to step up if there were any problems in the markets," she said.

Investors were also reassured according to her by the massive financial support, of several trillions of dollars, provided by the American government to individuals and businesses in difficulty.

The good performance of the biggest names in technology has also allowed the market to stabilize, says Krosby.

Once these elements were acquired, the sessions were punctuated throughout the month by information on the therapies and vaccines under development, the gradual decline in new cases of Covid-19 in certain key areas such as Italy or New York. , as well as the gradual lifting of restrictions in China, then in Europe, and in certain American states.

The question now "is whether the pandemic will continue to ebb and whether people will agree to return to work. And in this regard the issue of testing is crucial," said Krosby.

© 2020 AFP