Wall Street ends mostly higher

US stock indices closed the last session of the week mixed, with Dow Jones and S&P 500 gaining ground while NASDAQ fell, after reports that US President Donald Trump gave the green light to imposing new tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports. 

US Retail Sales, Industrial Data 

Earlier US data showed retail sales rose 0.1%, slowing down sharply from 0.7% in July, and missing estimates of 0.4%. 

Import prices fell 0.6% m/m, compared to no change in July, while analysts expected a 0.2% drop. 

US industrial production rose 0.4% in August, same as July, and beating estimates of a 0.3% increase. 

The capacity utilization rate rose to 78.1% from 77.9% in July, missing  estimates of 78.3%. 

University of Michigan released its survey on consumer sentiment, showing a surge to 100.8 in September, the best in six months, from 96.2 in August, beating estimates of 96.7. 

US President Donald Trump tweeted yesterday: "we are under no pressure to make a deal with China, they are under pressure to make a deal with us. Our markets are surging, theirs are collapsing. We will soon be taking in Billions in Tariffs & making products at home. If we meet, we meet?", weighing on silver and other metal prices. 

Indices, Commodities 

Dow Jones rose 0.03%, or 8.68 points to 26,154.67, while Standard and Poor's 500 gained 0.03%, or 0.80 points to 2,904.98, as NASDAQ Composite shed 0.05%, or 3.67 points to 8,010.04. 

Gold futures due in December fell 0.76% to $1,199 an ounce, while the dollar index rose 0.46% to 94.95 against a basket of major rivals. 

US crude futures due in October rose 0.55% to $68.97 a barrel, while Brent November futures shed 0.09% to $78.11 a barrel.