Wall Street inches higher as Dec 15 tariff deadline looms

Markets have been whipsawed in recent days by conflicting reports on whether the world's two largest economies would be able to arrive at a "phase one" agreement prior to Dec. 15, when a new round of tariffs on Chinese imports is expected to take effect

NEW YORK: Wall Street eked out slight gains on Thursday as investors waited for concrete news on a hoped-for interim trade deal between the United States and China before a new round of tariffs scheduled to kick in on Dec 15.

Tech stocks led all three major U.S. stock averages marginally into the black following upbeat statements from President Donald Trump and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin that the U.S.-China trade negotiations are "on track" and "going well."