Major US stock indexes finished trading in the red

Major US stock indexes have declined significantly, as investors continued to get rid of risky assets due to increased uncertainty about the outcome of trade negotiations between the US and China.

US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer has heightened fears, accusing China of trying to abandon earlier agreements and stating that the tariff increase on imported products from China totaling $ 200 billion announced by Donald Trump will take effect on Friday. At the same time, Finance Minister Stephen Mnuchin noted that the United States will revise its duties if negotiations return to the correct path.

Beijing is preparing a response in case Washington increases import tariffs from 10% to 25%, but it will still send Vice Premier Liu He to hold talks in Washington later this week.

Against this background, market participants did not pay much attention to statistics on the United States. The vacancy and labor turnover review (JOLTS), published by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, showed that in March, the number of vacancies increased to 7,488 million from 7,142 million in February (revised from 7,087 million). Analysts had expected the number of vacancies to grow only to 7.240 million. The level of vacancies increased by 0.2%, and amounted to 4.7%. The number of vacancies increased in the private sector (+363 000) and almost did not change in the government sphere.

Separate data showed that the US economic optimism index, calculated by the Investor's Business Daily newspaper and the research firm TechnoMetrica Institute of Policy and Politics, rose strongly in May, exceeding experts' forecasts and reaching a 15-year high. The index rose to 58.6 points from 54.2 points in April. The last reading was the highest since February 2004. Experts expected that the index will grow only to 54.5 points.

All components of DOW finished trading in the red (30 out of 30). The outsider was DowDuPont Inc. (DWDP; -4.55%).

All sectors of the S & P recorded a decline. The largest decline was shown by the health sector (-2.5%) and the industrial goods sector (-2.5%).

At the time of closing:

Dow 25,965.09 -473.39 -1.79%

S & P 500 2,884.05 -48.42 -1.65%

Nasdaq 100 7,963.76 -159.53 -1.96%