© Reuters. A screen displays the Dow Jones Industrial Average after the close of trading for the day on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange in New York City, U.S., March 20, 2024. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/file photoNEW YORK -U.S. stocks were essentially unchanged at the close of a choppy session on Monday, with a solar eclipse offering distraction ahead of crucial inflation data and the kick-off of first-quarter earnings season.
On Wednesday, the Labor Department's March Consumer Price Index report is expected to show a slight cooldown in monthly price growth and a nominal decrease in the annual core number, which excludes volatile food and energy items. Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago President Austan Goolsbee said on Monday the central bank must take into consideration how long it can maintain its restrictive policy without damaging the economy.
The S&P 500 posted 22 new 52-week highs and two new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 79 new highs and 84 new lows.