The S&P 500 and Dow Jones indexes were largely flat on Monday as investors weighed the implications of rising coronavirus infections for business activity while the tech-heavy Nasdaq rose for a seventh session.

The World Health Organization reported a record rise in global coronavirus cases on Sunday, driving demand for perceived safe-havens, including gold and longer-term U.S. Treasuries.

Travel-related stocks, one of the worst-hit sectors due to the outbreak, fell. The S&P 500 airlines index dropped 2.1%, while shares of cruise operators Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean Cruises tumbled about 8% each.

At 11:21 a.m. ET, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 12.29 points, or 0.05%, at 25,859.17, the S&P 500 was up 2.24 points, or 0.07%, at 3,099.98. The Nasdaq Composite was up 41.66 points, or 0.42%, at 9,987.78.

Source : Reuters