In this file photo people walk past the New York Stock Exchange and a statue of George Washington at Wall Street on March 23, 2021 in New York City. — AFP picNEW YORK, May 18 — Wall Street stocks were nearly flat in early trading today as strong earnings from Walmart and other retailers were offset by disappointing US housing data.
“We’re encouraged by traffic and grocery market share trends,” said Walmart Chief Executive Doug McMillon. “In the US, customers clearly want to get out and shop.”The broad-based S&P 500 slipped 0.1 per cent to 4,160.48, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index gained 0.2 per cent to 13,401.60.