A March 2019 report highlighted a 0.6% decline in U.S. construction spending for December 2018, marking the first monthly drop since August 2018 and intensifying concerns about economic slowdown at year-end.
The Commerce Department data showed the decrease followed a 0.8% rise in November 2018, with markets opening cautiously as traders evaluated the implications for 2019 economic performance.
By 10:10 a.m. ET, the Dow Jones Industrial Average remained flat while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite posted modest gains, reflecting divided investor sentiment toward the economic data.
Reporting by Amy Caren Daniel in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta
