New York (AFP)

The New York Stock Exchange closed lower on Thursday, with markets showing concern about the resurgence of the coronavirus and the spread of the delta variant, in the absence of macroeconomic indicators or major company publications.

The Dow Jones lost 0.75% to 34,421.93 points, the Nasdaq 0.72% to 14,559.78 points and the extended S&P 500 index 0.86% to 4,320.82 points.

After concluding with fanfare last week, driven by good macroeconomic figures, Wall Street has been looking for a direction since, for lack of significant new data on the trajectory of the US economy.

"There is a lack of economic news" likely to make operators react, explains Chris Low, chief economist of the investment firm FHN Financial.

The New York Stock Exchange has its eyes on the coronavirus contamination figures, which are rebounding around the world, under the effect of the spread of the delta variant, more contagious and more dangerous than the original version of the virus .

"There is mounting concern about global growth," said Chris Low.

State of health emergency in Japan, confinement in Australia, degradation in Russia, the end of the pandemic now appears compromised in the short term.

The tension mainly concerns countries other than the United States, even if the contaminations are, there also, on the rise, detailed the economist.

Supported by the acceleration of the delta variant, the title of the American biotechnology company Moderna gained 4.91% to 232.79 dollars on Thursday.

The action is a little closer to its record, reached last week at 235.11 dollars.

As the hypothesis of an interest rate hike receding, driven by doubts about growth, bank stocks have retreated.

Bank of America dropped 2.44%, JPMorgan Chase 1.73% and Wells Fargo 2.49%.

On the bond market, the 10-year US government bond rate fell further (1.29%), even briefly falling below 1.25%, a first since early February.

The days go by and look the same for Chinese companies listed on Wall Street, drawn into a downward spiral by Beijing's regulatory takeover.

Main target of the moment, Didi dropped again 5.88% to 11.21 dollars.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the Chinese Cybersecurity Supervisory Authority, which had already launched an investigation into the "Chinese Uber", has received a mandate from the Chinese government to become, in effect, the gendarme of the Chinese companies that have entered on the stock market in the United States.

Also the subject of investigations by the same regulator, the truck rental platform Full Truck Alliance again yielded 11% to 15.13 dollars.

E-commerce giant Alibaba dropped 3.92% to $ 199.85.

The landscape is also darkening on the American side, where several elected officials, including Republican Senator from Tennessee Bill Hargerty, a member of the Senate Banking Committee, are demanding measures from the American market policeman, the SEC, concerning these Chinese values.

© 2021 AFP