Benchmarks Fare: Points and Proposals Aim

benchmarks fare: The Nasdaq Composite Index COMP, 0.78% closed with a gain of 25.79 points, or 0.3%, at 7,669.17, according to Market Watch. What drove the market There were signs of progress in U.S.-China trade talks, with Beijing officials making unprecedented proposals to resolve a long-running tariff dispute with Washington, Reuters reported, citing U.S.officials. How did the benchmarks fare The Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA, 0.82% rose 91.87 points, or 0.4%, to end at 25,717.46 and the S&P 500 index SPX, 0.67% gained 10.07 points, or 0.4%, to finish at 2,815.44. The report said the proposals aim to end charges that China systematically steals U.S. intellectual property. The cut was sparked by softer consumer spending and subdued business investment, and brought GDP growth for 2018 to 2.9%. Read Gush of government spending that boosted economy last year is fading The GDP report comes on the heels of heightened anxieties about sluggish growth in China and Europe that Wall Street investors fear has already begun to affect the U.S., reflected in falling yields of government debt, which move opposite of prices. Optimism over trade, however, was tempered by the final reading of U.S. gross domestic product growth in the fourth quarter which was lowered to 2.2% from an estimated 2.6% annualized rate. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.