New York (AFP)

The New York Stock Exchange retreated to the opening on Friday, weakened by new indicators illustrating the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the American economy and a resurgence of Sino-American tensions.

Around 1:45 p.m. GMT, its flagship index, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, fell by 0.65% to 23,470.67 points.

The highly technological Nasdaq fell 0.98% to 8,855.74 points.

The S&P 500, which represents the 500 largest companies on Wall Street, lost 0.79% to 2,829.90 points.

Wall Street had ended the session in the green Thursday despite figures still reflecting a sharp rise in unemployment, helped in its rebound by the progression of banks: the Dow Jones had gained 1.62% and the Nasdaq 0.91%.

Retail sales in the United States plunged 16.4% in April, still weighed down by forced closings of non-essential stores in an effort to stem the pandemic.

"Consumer spending plunged at the start of the quarter. Estimates of gross domestic product will have to be revised down," said Christopher Low, economist at FHN Financial. "It goes without saying, because we are starting to get used to it, but it is again unprecedented," he adds.

Industrial production plunged 11.2% in April across the country.

And if manufacturing activity in the New York region for its part begins to regain ground in May after falling to its lowest level since the 2009 financial crisis in April, it remains clearly in the red.

Investors were also scalded Friday by new tensions between China and the United States

President Donald Trump, believing that China had not acted appropriately since the onset of Covid-19 disease in the city of Wuhan, threatened Thursday to sever all relations with the Asian giant and assured that he no longer wanted to speak to his president.

And on Friday, the Trump administration announced a series of measures to curb the ability of the Chinese group Huawei - which it considers a threat to national security - to develop semiconductors abroad with American technology. .

On the bond market, the 10-year rate on the US debt fell slightly, to 0.6153% against 0.6218% Thursday evening.

© 2020 AFP