Around 13:45 GMT, the Dow Jones gained 0.68%, the Nasdaq index gave up 0.39% and the broader S&P 500 index advanced 0.25%.

Several witnesses suggest a lull in the New York market, including the VIX index, measuring market volatility, which stabilizes Monday.

In addition, bond yields are pausing after several rollercoaster rides. The yield on 10-year US government bonds stood at 3.42%, unchanged from Friday's close.

Whether on the Dow Jones or Nasdaq side, almost all stocks are trading within tight margins, in a wait-and-see climate.

However, "UBS's takeover of Credit Suisse has not really calmed investors," according to Peter Cardillo of Spartan Capital. "The market remains uncertain and we are heading for a mixed session."

The announcement on Sunday of the absorption by the first Swiss bank of its great national rival marked a new stage in the crisis that has shaken the sector for ten days.

In the first exchanges, the Californian bank First Republic was down again (-12.17%), down more than 82% since the beginning of the sequence.

"This indicates that the crisis is not over," Cardillo said. "And people are expecting more bad news about banks."

Nevertheless, despite First Republic's slide, regional banks are once again in demand. Battered throughout last week, California's PacWest jumped (+22.31%), as well as Western Alliance (+6.10%), based in Phoenix (Arizona), or Zions (+6.34%), headquartered in Salt Lake City (Utah).

The little-known institution New York Community Bancorp (NYCB) soared (+32.95%) after the announcement, Sunday, of the takeover of part of the loan portfolio and deposits of its competitor Signature Bank, bankrupt. The assets will be housed within Flagstar Bank, a subsidiary of NYCB.

Elsewhere on the stock market, the chain of sporting goods stores Foot Locker climbed (+3.79%) after the publication of quarterly sales above expectations. The New York-based group also reported forecasts higher than analysts' expectations for the current fiscal year (which will end in early February 2024).

© 2023 AFP