Major US stock indexes finished trading mainly in the red

Major US stock indices predominantly declined, as the collapse of the utility sector shares leveled positive news from statements by US Treasury Secretary Mnuchin that the US and China are close to concluding a trade deal.

“We went about 90% of the way (with the deal), and I believe that there is a way to complete this,” Mnuchin told CNBC on Wednesday without providing detailed information about the remaining 10% of the way to reaching the final agreement. He also said he was confident that US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping could make progress in the stalled trade negotiations at the upcoming G-20 meeting this weekend.

In turn, Donald Trump said today in an interview with Fox Business that a trade deal between the United States and China is possible, but said that he was “very pleased with where we are now.” He also said that he would introduce additional tariffs on Chinese imports if there is no trade deal with China.

The focus was also on the reporting of the manufacturer of microchips Micron (MU). The company reported quarterly earnings of $ 1.05 per share, which was $ 0.26 above the average forecast of analysts. Revenue also exceeded analysts' expectations. Micron said it expects demand for its chips to recover later this year. MU shares jumped 13.3%, boosting Philadelphia Semiconductor's stock index.

Market participants also analyzed the latest US data. According to a report by the US Department of Commerce, new orders for durable goods fell by 1.3% in May after falling by a revised 2.8% in April. The continued decline surprised economists, who expected orders for durable goods to grow by 0.2% compared with a 2.1% fall, which was originally reported in the previous month. Meanwhile, with the exception of another drop in orders for transportation equipment, orders for durable goods rose by 0.3% in May, after declining by 0.1% in April. Economists had expected a growth rate of 0.1%.

DOW components finished bidding mixed (15 in positive, 15 in negative). The growth leader was Intel Corp. (INTC + 2.86%). The Travelers Companies, Inc. shares turned out to be an outsider. (TRV; -2.89%).

Almost all sectors of the S & P recorded an increase. The largest growth was shown by the raw materials sector (+ 0.9%). More than the rest, the utility sector decreased (-1.7%).

At the time of closing:

Dow 26,536.82 -11.40 -0.04%

S & P 500 2,913.78  -3.60 -0.12%

Nasdaq 100 7,909.97 +25.25 +0.32%