Facebook followed suit after an analyst rating cut, sliding 3.3% and pushing the communication services index down by 0.9%.
Apple stock jumps on new surprise launch — the iPad Air and the iPad mini
These, along with the uncertainty surrounding Brexit made investors a little wary. On Monday, the British PM Theresa May received another setback after the speaker of the UK parliament asked her to rejig her Brexit deal before putting it forward for a new vote.
Fifty minutes past noon in Eastern Time, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 6.14 points, while the S&P 500 was up 4.59 points. The Nasdaq Composite inched up by 1.54 points.
The market positivity was led by Exxon Mobil (XOM) which rose 1% — listing the energy sector and concerning financial shares. This bolstered the S&P 500 which was 0.16% higher.
Economic data that was revealed in the second week of March was an indication of the Federal Reserve deciding to cut down on aggressive rate bumping. With hopes flying high on the US and China reaching an agreement to end the trade standoff, added to the positive sentiment.
Apple (AAPL) also gained 0.7% with the surprise launch of the new 10.5″ iPad Air and an iPad Mini. Edwards Lifesciences Corp stock (EW) spiked 6.4% higher on positive trial results on its non-invasive heart valve replacement system. Dermira (DERM) hit a new 52-week high on positive eczema trial results.
.