US close: Markets mixed on light trading Monday

Wall Street finished mixed amid light volumes on Monday, as investors kept their wallets closed as both international tensions and domestic political turbulence put a dampener on sentiment.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.13% to 21,703.75 and the S&P 500 added 0.12% to 2,428.37, while the Nasdaq 100 was off 0.08% to 5,786.54.

On Friday, stocks got a brief boost from news that US President Trump had fired divisive chief strategist Steve Bannon, but the main indices ended in the red.

Spreadex analyst Connor Campbell said: "There are, at least, some macro-issues for the Dow et al. to focus on this Monday.

“Firstly there is the military exercises set to be performed by the US and South Korea, something that be only inflame the latter’s northern sibling.

"Then there’s America’s domestic chaos … the departure of Steve Bannon last Friday gave a slight lift to the markets; however, the constant turmoil of the Trump presidency, epitomised by its laughable turnover of key personal, seriously endangers the tax and infrastructure plans that had been such nectar to the markets earlier in the year.”

Investors put their concerns about North Korea to one side last week following events in Washington and terrorist attacks in Spain, but with US and South Korea holding military exercises this week, renewed jitters were expected to set in.

Investors were also wary ahead of the US Federal Reserve's annual symposium at Jackson Hole, which kicks off on Thursday.

In corporate news, Sempra Energy was in focus, rising 1.59% after agreeing to buy Energy Future, the indirect owner of 80% of Texas utility Oncor, beating off Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway.

Elsewhere, US-listed shares in Fiat Chrysler were 6.92% higher following reports that China's Great Wall Motor Co is interested in buying the company.

Dow Jones - Risers

Home Depot Inc. (HD) $149.18 1.16%
Cisco Systems Inc. (CSCO) $30.68 1.02%
Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) $48.14 0.94%
E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Co. (DD) $81.85 0.80%
Merck & Co. Inc. (MRK) $61.97 0.78%
Visa Inc. (V) $103.22 0.69%
Unitedhealth Group Inc. (UNH) $192.03 0.63%
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) $133.48 0.62%
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT) $79.71 0.50%
3M Co. (MMM) $204.64 0.50%

Dow Jones - Fallers

Nike Inc. (NKE) $53.61 -2.44%
Chevron Corp. (CVX) $105.79 -0.66%
Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS) $220.77 -0.61%
Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) $72.15 -0.47%
Travelers Company Inc. (TRV) $127.45 -0.34%
Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM) $76.38 -0.34%
Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) $113.60 -0.28%
Intel Corp. (INTC) $34.92 -0.26%
General Electric Co. (GE) $24.50 -0.24%
Apple Inc. (AAPL) $157.21 -0.18%

S&P 500 - Risers

Tenet Healthcare Corp. (THC) $16.56 14.60%
Freeport-McMoRan Inc (FCX) $14.72 4.10%
Johnson Controls International plc (JCI) $38.27 3.29%
Red Hat Inc. (RHT) $102.62 2.21%
Newmont Mining Corp. (NEM) $36.61 2.18%
Public Storage (PSA) $200.35 2.08%
Advance Auto Parts (AAP) $95.28 2.07%
Ventas Inc. (VTR) $67.45 2.01%
Kimco Realty Corp. (KIM) $19.71 1.91%
Welltower Inc (HCN) $71.98 1.88%

S&P 500 - Fallers

Frontier Communications Co. (FTR) $12.72 -6.19%
First Solar Inc. (FSLR) $45.96 -4.37%
Snap On Inc. (SNA) $141.70 -4.23%
Murphy Oil Corp. (MUR) $23.19 -3.58%
Chesapeake Energy Corp. (CHK) $3.82 -3.54%
Westrock Company (WRK) $54.36 -3.48%
Newfield Exploration Co (NFX) $24.51 -3.16%
Under Armour Inc. Class A (UAA) $16.59 -3.10%
United Rentals Inc. (URI) $108.40 -3.09%
Pioneer Natural Resources Co. (PXD) $127.94 -3.04%

Nasdaq 100 - Risers

Ctrip.Com International Ltd. Ads (CTRP) $52.18 3.45%
JD.com, Inc. (JD) $41.26 2.82%
Mercadolibre Inc. (MELI) $241.95 2.46%
NetEase Inc. Ads (NTES) $274.74 1.63%
Paychex Inc. (PAYX) $55.77 1.42%
Intuit Inc. (INTU) $135.91 1.34%
Autodesk Inc. (ADSK) $109.75 1.10%
Marriott International - Class A (MAR) $99.08 1.07%
Cerner Corp. (CERN) $64.93 1.06%
Cisco Systems Inc. (CSCO) $30.68 1.02%

Nasdaq 100 - Fallers

Ulta Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance Inc. (ULTA) $234.21 -4.09%
Shire Plc Ads (SHPG) $140.85 -3.23%
Tesla Inc (TSLA) $337.86 -2.76%
Micron Technology Inc. (MU) $29.56 -2.70%
Mattel Inc. (MAT) $16.42 -2.38%
Applied Materials Inc. (AMAT) $43.31 -2.23%
Fastenal Co. (FAST) $39.97 -1.75%
Viacom Inc. Class B (VIAB) $28.11 -1.68%
eBay Inc. (EBAY) $34.24 -1.55%
Automatic Data Processing Inc. (ADP) $102.89 -1.46%