U.S. stocks were mixed Monday as investors tread carefully on uncertain news on the coronavirus pandemic.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 329 points, or 1%. The S&P 500 was also 1% lower while the Nasdaq composite index was up a fraction of a percentage.
Asian markets were lower; European markets were closed for Easter.
Analysts say investors are being cautious despite signs that the coronavirus pandemic may be flattening. Italy and France have reported lower death tolls, and some Spanish workers were allowed to return to their jobs Monday.
But the overall coronavirus picture is still uncertain, and investors are also bracing themselves for earnings reports from several major corporations this week. The outbreak has shut down the U.S. economy.
President Donald Trump has said he wants the country to get back to business, but it is unclear exactly when that will happen or in what kind of increments.
Oil futures were up Monday after OPEC and several other producers agreed to slash production.
U.S. crude finished about 3% higher, at more than $23 per barrel, while Brent crude, the international standard, was also up 3%, to $32 per barrel. But less demand because of the pandemic is expected to keep prices low despite the production cuts.
