Major US stock indices closed in positive territory

Major US stock indexes rose slightly, as investors focused on conflicting reports about US-China trade negotiations.

CNBC Beijing correspondent Eunice Yun wrote on Twitter today that Chinese officials are pessimistic about the prospects for a deal between the US and China. According to a government source, China is worried about President Trump’s statements that the US will not abolish tariffs, as they believed that both sides had already agreed on this. Beijing's current strategy is to negotiate, but to wait in view of events such as impeachment and US elections. This message runs counter to Chinese state media reporting this weekend that China and the United States are engaged in “constructive” trade negotiations. They also noted that US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin discussed with the Chinese Deputy Prime Minister Liu He key issues of the first phase of the trade agreement.

Market participants also drew attention to data from the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB), which indicated that the confidence of American homebuilders fell slightly in November. According to the data, the NAHB / Wells Fargo Housing Market Index fell to 70 in November after rising to 71 in October. Economists had expected the index to rise to 72. A modest decline occurred after the housing market index rose for four consecutive months and was at the highest level since reaching the corresponding value in February 2018.

Most DOW components completed trading mixed (15 in the black, 15 in the black). The outsider was Chevron Corp. (CVX; -1.87%). The biggest gainers were The Walt Disney Co. (DIS; + 1.89%).

Most S&P sectors recorded a decline. The largest decline was shown in the base materials sector (-1.2%). The consumer goods sector grew the most (+ 0.2%).

At the time of closing:

Dow 28,036.15 +31.26 + 0.11%

S&P 500 3,122.01 +1.55 + 0.05%

Nasdaq 100 8,549.94 +9.11 + 0.11%