Stocks fell on Thursday as trade talks between China and the U.S. restarted while fears persisted that the economy may be slowing down.
The Dow Jones Industrials turned south 17.31 points midday to 25,608.28
The S&P 500 decreased 2.84 points to 2,802.78
The NASDAQ Composite dropped 7.4 points to 7,635.97
Accenture gained $7.66, or 4.6%, to $174.14, after reporting earnings Thursday morning.
Various media reported overnight that Chinese officials made unprecedented offers regarding force technology transfers as well as other major sticking points. The report comes as U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin arrived in Beijing for further negotiations.
Trade between China and the U.S. has been a key issue for Wall Street as investors fear a prolonged standoff between the world's largest economies could hinder corporate profits and economic growth.
In economic news, the U.S. economy grew by 2.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the government's final read released Thursday.
Prices for the benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury were static at Thursday 2.39%, their lowest level since Dec. 15, 2017.
Oil prices dropped 48 cents to $58.93 U.S. a barrel.
Gold prices slid $19.80 to $1,297.10 U.S. an ounce.