(22 November 2019)DAILY MARKET BRIEF 2:Trump criticized China's efforts to reach a trade agreement

U.S. stocks edged lower as investors assessed conflicting signals on prospects for the U.S.-China trade talks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped less than 0.1%, a day after the gauge of blue-chip stocks logged its biggest fall of the month. The S&P 500 slipped 0.1%, and the Nasdaq Composite slid 0.2%. All three major U.S. indexes earlier this week notched the latest in a string of recent all-time highs. Investors continued to monitor the drumbeat of headlines on attempts to resolve trade tensions between the U.S. and China. China's chief trade negotiator late last week invited his American counterparts for a new round of face-to-face talks, according to people briefed on the matter, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday. Chinese officials hope the negotiations can take place before the Thanksgiving holiday, but the U.S. side hasn't committed to a date. That report came less than a day after President Trump criticized China's efforts to reach a trade agreement, escalating concerns that the world's two biggest economies won't reach a deal this year.

By Vincent Mivelaz