The markets traded mixed during the midday with the Dow losing 22 points to 20,706 while Nasdaq rose 9 points to 5,924.
The European Union issued its draft negotiating guidelines for the United Kingdom's exit from the EU. British Prime Minister Theresa May had requested that discussions begin immediately on post-Brexit trade deals but European Council president Donald Tusk was clear that separation details must be agreed upon before any future deals will be broached. The EU is demanding that the UK pay tens of billions of euros to settle outstanding budgetary commitments and other liabilities, grant residency rights to the millions of EU citizens who are living in the UK, and comply with EU regulatory rules.
In the patent infringement suit filed by Google parent Alphabet against Uber, former Google employee Anthony Levandowski has invoked his Fifth Amendment right to avoid self-incrimination. Alphabet claims that Levandowski stole 14,000 confidential documents while working for Google's autonomous car unit Waymo then left to found the self-driving truck company Otto using Waymo technology. Uber bought Otto in August 2016.
Comcast reassured customers that it would not sell their internet browsing information. The announcement was in response to a recently approved repeal of Federal Communications Commission regulations that protect customer privacy. Comcast said that it has never sold the web browsing history of its customers and will revise its privacy policy for more clarity and transparency.
In the broad market, advancing issues outpaced decliners by a margin of more than 5 to 3 on the NYSE and by more than 7 to 5 on Nasdaq. The broader S&P 500 index held steady at 2,368. Bitcoin climbed $36 to $1071.
