New York (AFP)

The New York Stock Exchange traded in dispersed order Wednesday after the opening, unimpressed by a salvo of very positive corporate results, pending the outcome of a monetary meeting of the American Central Bank (Fed).

Around 4:15 p.m. GMT, the Dow Jones index dropped 0.29% to 34,957.89 points.

The high tech Nasdaq advanced 0.65% to 14,554.39 points and the extended S&P 500 index lost 0.06% to 4,398.69 points.

Tuesday, Wall Street had interrupted five sessions of increase by dropping 0.24% for the Dow Jones, 1.21% for the Nasdaq and 0.47% for the S&P 500.

"There was a ton of news on the earnings front after yesterday's close," Briefing.com's Patrick O'Hare noted, citing Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet, Boeing, Pfizer and McDonald's.

“All of these companies have exceeded expectations easily, but the market reaction doesn't give that impression,” the analysis added.

"In general, it is no surprise" in the eyes of investors "that companies are showing better than expected results."

For Art Hogan, of National Securities, "it seems that investors have returned to their model: + sell on the new +", after having bought.

The indices are indeed moving at record levels and the market is restricted from celebrating too much the good news which rather triggers "maximum growth anxiety", underlines Patrich O'Hare.

"It's hard to think that things can get much better," he sums up.

In addition to these announcements, Wall Street awaits at 6:00 p.m. GMT the outcome of the monetary meeting of the American Central Bank then the press conference of its president, Jerome Powell.

The Fed boss should come as no surprise as the central bank maintains that inflation is transient and does not appear to have any immediate intention of announcing preparations for a slowdown in monetary support.

"Don't be surprised if you aren't surprised by what the Fed is communicating today," quips Patrick O'Hare.

Among the actions, the laboratory Pfizer, which plans to sell this year for 33.5 billion dollars of vaccines against Covid-19 developed in partnership with the German BioNTech, gained 2.33% to 43.08 dollars.

Alphabet (Google) rose 1.28% to 2,771.03 and Microsoft took 0.38% to 287.67 dollars after very strong results.

Boeing climbed 4.94% to 233.12 dollars, after having returned to the green in the second quarter after six quarters of losses.

The fast-food giant McDonald's, whose title had gained almost 1% the day before, dropped 2.44% despite sales and profits above forecasts.

Bond yields on ten-year bills edged up to 1.25% from 1.24% the day before.

© 2021 AFP