Major US stock indexes finished trading almost unchanged

Major US stock indexes closed near zero, as investors preferred not to take risks before the publication of the report on the number of jobs on Friday.

The decisive monthly data on the labor market will help investors assess the health of the economy and will give hints on when the Fed may raise interest rates to push.

In addition, as it became known today, the number of Americans who applied for unemployment benefits unexpectedly rose last week, but the trend still points to a healthy labor market. Primary applications for unemployment benefits rose by 3,000 and reached a seasonally adjusted 269,000 for the week ended July 30. The data for the previous week were not revised. Economists forecast that initial applications for unemployment benefits fall to 265,000 last week.

At the same time, factory orders in the US for the last month declined by less than expected. According to the report prepared by the US Census Bureau, the figure was -1.5% compared to -1.2% in the previous month. These data were revised downward to -1.0%.

Also, according to data published by the Employment Challenger, Gray & Christmas, it became known that at the end of July, employers fired 45.346 persons compared to 38.536 persons in June. In annual terms, the number of lay-offs decreased by 105.696 people. 359.100 contractions were recorded since the beginning of the year.

Most DOW components of the index showed an increase (16 of 30). Most remaining shares rose Visa Inc. (V, + 1.11%). Outsider were shares of The Walt Disney Company (DIS, -1.07%).

Sector S & P index finished the session mixed. The leader turned out to be the sector of consumer goods (+ 0.4%). conglomerates (-2.6%) sectors fell most.

At the close:

Dow -0.01% 18,352.33 -2.67

Nasdaq + 0.13% 5,166.25 +6.51

S & P + 0.02% 2,164.25 +0.46