Morning report 20 Sept 19: Stocks directionless as trade talks come into focus

 

 US sharemarkets ended mixed on Thursday. Shares in Microsoft rose by 1.8% on the company's US$40 billion share buyback plan. Shares in Target rose 0.8% after announcing a US$5 billion share buyback. Investors watched developments in talks between US and Chinese trade negotiators ahead of high level talks in October. The Dow Jones closed lower by 52 points or 0.2%, after trading in a 208-point range. The S&P500 index was flat, but the Nasdaq rose by 5.5 points or 0.1%.

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