PARIS, Feb 16 (Reuters) – The New York Stock Exchange opened lower on Wednesday as equity markets were caught up in renewed risk aversion amid uncertainty surrounding the withdrawal of some of the Russian troops massed near the borders of Ukraine.
In early trading, the Dow Jones index lost 99.62 points, or 0.28%, to 34,889.22 points and the broader Standard & Poor’s 500 fell 0.41% to 4,452.51 points.
The Nasdaq Composite lost 0.86%, or 121.40 points, to 14,018.355.
While Moscow claims to continue the withdrawal of its soldiers near Ukraine, the United States and NATO say they still have no proof of this withdrawal.
“There’s what Russia says. And then there’s what Russia does. And we haven’t seen any withdrawal of its forces,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told MSNBC.
The threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine weighs on Wall Street, as index futures have accentuated their losses after statements by Antony Blinken.
The publication in the evening of the minutes of the US Federal Reserve’s January monetary policy meeting also calls for caution.
In terms of economic indicators, retail sales in the United States rebounded much more than expected in January, said the Commerce Department, which reported a rise of 3.8% last month after a decline of 2, 5% in December.
US industrial production, up 1.4%, exceeded expectations in January.
In values, the uncertainties around Ukraine are benefiting oil and gas groups such as Exxon Mobil, Chevron, Diamondback Energy, Callon Petroleum, Occidental Petroleum and Marathon Oil, which are advancing by 1% to 2.6%.
Digital heavyweights like Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, Meta Platforms and Tesla fell 0.6% to 3.1%.
ViacomCBS, which announced its intention to rename itself Paramount, fell 18.5% after the publication Tuesday evening of a quarterly profit below expectations.
The results of Airbnb (+1.3%), Hilton (+0.7%), Kraft Heinz (+4.5%) and even Devon Energy (+5.4%) are however welcomed.