· Stocks closed along the flatline on Thursday as Wall Street looked ahead to the start of the earnings season.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 14.11 points to 26,143.05 as Apple slipped 0.8%. The S&P 500 posted a marginal gain to end the day at 2,888.32 while the Nasdaq Composite slipped 0.2% to 7,947.36.Thursday’s session saw the lowest trading volume since Dec. 24.
Stocks initially rose Thursday as investors cheered progress on U.S.-China trade talks. The Wall Street Journal reported that China agreed to open its cloud-computing sector to foreign companies in an attempt to sweeten a deal with the U.S.
Investors also weighed news that talks between EU leaders and British Prime Minister Theresa May culminated in a “flexible extension ” of the U.K.’s departure from the bloc until Oct. 31.
Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, said this development provides extra time for the “U.K. to find the best possible solution.”
· Shares in Asia were mixed in Friday morning trade as hopes rise on progress on the U.S.-China trade front.
The Nikkei 225 in Japan rose fractionally in early trade, as shares of index heavyweight Fast Retailing jumped 5.59 percent. The Topix index, on the other hand, slipped 0.2 percent.
In South Korea, the Kospi fell 0.42 percent as shares of industry heavyweight Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix declined.
Meanwhile, the ASX 200 in Australia added 0.59 percent, with almost all sectors advancing.
Reference: CNBC
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