US equity markets finished last Friday (14 September) little changed in a day marked by whipsaw action in the middle of the session following reports that President Trump wanted to forge ahead with tariffs on China despite reports earlier in the week suggesting tensions between the two countries were easing - Dow settled +9-points higher The broader S&P500 inched +0.03% higher to extend its winning streak into a fifth consecutive session, with gains in the Financial (up +0.66%), Energy (+0.56%) and Industrial (0.52%) sectors enough to keep the index in the black. The technology-centric NASDAQ dipped -0.05%. Faced with fresh threats of tariffs from Washington, China is considering declining the Trump administration’s offer of trade talks later this month, according to officials with knowledge of the discussions. For the week, the Dow rose +0.92%, S&P500 +1.16% and Nasdaq +1.36%.
