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US markets - Dow fell -55-points or -0.20% The broader S&P500 drifted -0.16% lower, NASDAQ -0.22%. On the merger and acquisition (M&A) front, CNBC reported that discount broker Charles Schwab Corp (up +7.33) is in talks to acquire rival TD Ameritrade Holdings Corp ( +16.92%) , a deal that would create a company with US$5 trillion in combined assets.

Both the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P500 retreated from record highs amid fresh doubts about substantive progress on a partial trade deal with China ahead of a 15 December deadline for the increase of import tariffs - Dow lost -102-points or -0.36% Boeing Co settled --0.7% lower after a volatile session after the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommended the company develop a “more robust” design of its plane’s engine structure and components. The recommendation was announced during an NTSB meeting. The stock had been up in early morning trade after receiving 50 orders for its grounded 737 MAX. The broader S&P500 -0.06%, The technology-centric NASDAQ added +0.25% to 8,851 and logged its third consecutive record closing high. Advanced Micro Devices was the leading Nasdaq performer, gaining +3.5% to US$41.29 – its highest level since 2 March, 2006 - after launching a new graphics card for 3-D designers, architects and engineers. Macy’s Inc sank more than 10% in Tuesday trading after reports that the department store retailer experienced a data breach in October.

The benchmark US equity indices inched higher to carve out fresh record closing highs - Dow up +31-points or +0.11% to 28,036, with Walt Disney Co (up +%) the leading index performer. The broader S&P500 edged +0.05% higher to 3,122, NASDAQ eked out a +0.10% gain to 8,549. J.P. Morgan Asset Management upgraded its outlook for global equities overnight, citing hopes for a breakthrough in US-China trade talks, a reduced risk of a US recession and a moderately positive earnings outlook.

Record closing highs for all three benchmark US equity indices to close out the week, with the latest rally lifting the Dow Jones Industrial Average above >28,000 for the first time - Dow rallied +223+-points or +0.80% to 28,004.89 to mark its eleventh record close of 2019. The broader S&P500 +0.77% to 3,120.46, The Healthcare sector (up +2.21%) led ten of the eleven primary sectors higher after the Trump administration released a plan that would force hospitals, group health plans and insurance companies to improve their price transparency and disclose the rates they negotiated. UnitedHealth Group rallied +5.3% and Pfizer Inc +2.0%. Materials (down -0.07%) was the only sector to close in the red. The technology-centric NASDAQ rose +0.73% to 8,540.83. Tesla Inc (up +0.81%) is slated to unveil their electric pick-up truck on Thursday (21 November). For the week, the Dow rose +1.% - its fourth consecutive weekly gain. It has taken the Dow just over four months to rise from 27,000 for the time to 28,000. Apple Inc rose +1.19% to a record high (US$265.78) last on Friday night AEST (15 November) and is the best-performing stock in the Dow since 11 July, when the index first reached 27,000. Apple Inc alone has contributed +434 points to the Dow's rally since 11 July. Apple fell -10% on the second trading day of 2019 following a warning on soft iPhone sales. The stock has since rallied +87%. Intel Corp, J.P. Morgan Chase & Co, United Technologies Corp and Home Depot Inc are among other stocks that have also rallied more than >10% since 11 July. S&P500 rose +0.9% to log its sixth consecutive weekly gain - the longest such streak since 2017 (when the index posted 8 consecutive weekly rises). The Nasdaq gained +0.8%, its seventh straight weekly advance. After downgrading both global equities and credit to 'underweight' back on 8 July, Morgan Stanley's cross-asset strategist has capitulated and returned to a 'neutral' weighting on equities

US equity markets little changed at US-China trade optimism started to fade once more - Dow dipped -2-points The broader inched S&P500 +0.08% higher to eke out its 21st record closing high (3,096.63) of 2019. The technology-centric NASDAQ flat. Cisco Systems Inc fell over >7% after posting a weak earnings outlook after the close of the previous session. Nike Inc rose +0.5% in extended trading after announcing that it was increasing its dividend by +11% to US$0.245c from US$0.22c on the company's class A and B stock. It is the eighteenth consecutive year that the company has increased the dividend payout. Warren Buffet's investment vehicle Berkshire Hathaway Inc revealed new stakes in furniture maker RH and energy company Occidental Petroleum Corp according to a filing earlier this morning AEST. The conglomerate owned ~1.2M shares of RH, formerly known as Restoration Hardware, and nearly 7.5M shares of Occidental. Berkshire Hathaway trimmed stakes in Apple Inc and Wells Fargo, among other companies. In April, Berkshire committed US$10B to help Occidental's bid for Anadarko Petroleum Corp, giving Occidental an edge over Chevron Corp CVX, -0.26%, which was also vying for Anadarko and later bowed out. RH rallied more than >6% in the extended session, while Occidental rose +1.6%.

Fresh record closing highs for both the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P500 - Dow up +92-points or +0.33% to 27,783.59, also touching a record intra-day high (27,806.40). Walt Disney Co jumped +7% and touched a record high (US$149.92) after the company announced that its new streaming service had more than >10M subscribers in the wake of the service's Tuesday (12 November) launch. The broader S&P500 eked out a +0.07% rise to 3,094.04 to log its 20th record closing high of the year. The more defensive Utilities (up +1.47%) and Real Estate (+1.07%) led six of the eleven primary sectors higher, while Financials (down -0.57%) and Energy (-0.51%) the laggards. The technology-centric NASDAQ dipped -0.04%. Nike Inc announced that it will complete its current pilot with Amazon Retail as it focusses on direct sales. The announcement comes a year after Nike announced it would sell its products on Amazon.com. Foot Locker Inc rose +0.90%.

US equity markets swung between small gains and losses as investors monitored President Trump's address to the Economic Club of New York - Dow unchanged. The broader S&P500 added +0.16% to 3,091.84, falling just shy of a fresh record closing high. The technology-centric NASDAQ rose +0.26% to 8,486.09 to log its 15th record closing high of 2019. Walt Disney Co gained +1.3% on the day of the debut of Disney+, the company’s new subscription video streaming product, despite reports of some access problems being experienced by users. The company said demand for the streaming service was well above expectations. Facebook Inc rose +2.7% after announcing it would launch a payment system across Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, and Whatsapp. Both the S&P 500 (3,102.61) and Nasdaq (8,514.84) carved out fresh intra-day records earlier in the day. In corporate news, Dean Foods Co. voluntarily filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, with the dairy company saying it was working toward an "orderly" sale of the company.

US equity markets settled with modest losses but well off their session lows, with fresh caution around the US-China trade negotiations and amid an escalation in tensions in Hong Kong - Dow eked out a +10-point gain and fresh record closing high (27,691.49) – its ninth this year and erasing an earlier -163-point drop. Boeing Co gained +4.55% amid reports that the aviation and defense contractor will resume deliveries of its controversial 737 MAX as soon as January. The broader S&P500 lost -0.20%, snapping a three session winning streak. The technology-centric NASDAQ dipped -0.14%. Alibaba Group Holdings (down -0.24%) set a Singles Day record, with sales of 268.4B yuan or ~US$38B.

US equity markets eked out modest gains to finish the week despite conflicting reports around the US-China trade negotiations, with all three benchmark indices logging fresh record closing highs - Dow inched +6-points higher to 27,681.24. Walt Disney Co (up +3.76%) was the leading index performer a day after Walt Disney launches its much anticipated streaming service, Disney+, in the US, Canada and the Netherlands on Tuesday (12 November). The broader S&P500 added +0.26% to 3,093.08, logging its fourth record closing high in the past six sessions. The technology-centric NASDAQ +0.48% to 8,475.31. Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (up +0.27%) is aiming to raise US$10B to US$15B in a second listing in Hong Kong as soon as this month, according to people familiar with the matter, reviving the planned offering even as the city’s political climate remains unstable. A listing of $10B or more would surpass Uber Technologies Inc as the biggest stock offering so far this year, although it could quickly be overtaken by oil producer Saudi Aramco’s initial public offering. For the week, the Dow rose +1.22%, S&P500 +0.85% (to log its first five week winning streak since March) and Nasdaq +1.06%. White House adviser Peter Navarro said that the US had not agreed to roll back tariffs, following reports that there were disagreements within the Trump administration whether to remove existing import levies. President Trump later cast further doubt on whether there would be a rollback on exiting tariffs on Chinese goods, confirming that he had not made a final decision a day after officials from both countries reportedly said that a framework had been laid out for rolling back existing import duties on top of the ones that were set to kick in at 15 December as part of a phase one trade deal. Mr Navarro repeated late on Friday (8 November) in an interview with Yahoo Finance’s The Final Round that "There is no agreement to rollback any exiting tariffs as part of the Phase One deal, noting that it was never on the table when the parties met and had a handshake deal in October.

Fresh record highs for both the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P500 indices as investors responded to news to of progress on US-China trade talks- Dow up +182-points or +0.66% to 27,678.1 and fresh all-time high. The broader S&P500 +0.27% to 3,085.18 - also a fresh record high - with Energy (up +1.58%) back atop the leading sector performers. The more defensive Utilities (down -1.35%) and Real Estate (1.085%) sectors lagged once again. The technology-centric NASDAQ added +0.29% to 8,434, just falling short of a record high. US-traded shares of Baidu Inc rallied 13.52% after the Chinese internet giant reported sales and earnings growth Wednesday (6 November) evening that surpassed Wall Street estimates. However, Expedia Group Inc slumped -27.39% after the travel website reported worse-than-expected earnings results after the close of trade Wednesday (6 November).The small capitalisation Russell 2000 index rose 0.26% to 1,593.99.