The markets traded flat during the midday with the Dow easing a point to 18,505. Nasdaq lost 8 points to 5,025.
Tragedy struck Nice, France when a truck was driven into crowds celebrating Bastille Day on Thursday night killing 84 people. The latest in a series of terrorist attacks around the world has raised concerns about tourism and the travel industry. Shares of online trip planning sites Expedia, TripAdvisor and Priceline have all slipped.
Airlines stocks, which have already been buffeted by global turmoil, turned negative again. The Brexit vote last month sparked a steep sell-off of domestic and international carriers while previous terrorist attacks sent stock prices tumbling. Shares of American Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines and Delta Air Lines dropped.
The Brexit vote and terrorist attacks have impacted hotel stocks as well. The stock prices of Marriott International, Starwood Hotels & Resorts and Wyndham Worldwide fell.
In the broad market, advancing issues barely edged out decliners by a slim margin on both the NYSE and on Nasdaq. The broader S&P 500 lost 4 points to 2,159. Bitcoin rose $4 to $657.
