US markets settled lower after media reports suggested Chinese officials would not strike a deal on intellectual property protections, a provision American industry has long hoped for, when negotiators meet later this week- Dow down -96-points or -0.36% The broader S&P500 lost -0.45%, with Energy (down -0.92%) leading ten of the eleven primary sectors into the red (with Communication Services eking out a +0.04% gain to be the only sector to advance). However, ConocoPhillips rose +2.06% and was among the best performers in the S&P 500 after the oil and gas major raised its quarterly dividend by 37.7% to US$0.42c per share. The NASDAQ lost -0.33%.