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NEW YORK, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- U.S. stocks traded mostly lower in the morning session on Wednesday, as investors mainly focused on a news conference by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump around midday.
By noon, the Dow Jones Industrial Average edged down 2.48 points, or 0.01 percent, to 19,853.05. The S&P 500 lost 4.30 points, or 0.19 percent, to 2,264.60. The Nasdaq Composite Index shed 16.87 points, or 0.30 percent, to 5,534.95.
Trump met the press Wednesday for the first news conference since the election, and analysts expected to get a clearer picture on trade, tax plans and fiscal stimulus from the new administration.
Meanwhile, investors also awaited the start of the fourth quarter earnings season later this week, when several financial giants report their numbers.
Traders closely followed curves of the financial sectors, which has posted a sharp rally since the U.S. presidential election day.
The latest data from Thomson Reuters showed that the S&P 500 companies' blended earnings in the fourth quarter of 2016 are expected to rise 5.8 percent year on year, while the revenues are forecast to increase 4.4 percent.
There are no major economic data due Wednesday.
U.S. stocks ended mixed Tuesday, with the Nasdaq Composite Index closing at a record high for four consecutive sessions. Enditem
