MONDAY – U.S. stocks traded lower on Monday, the first trading day of the fourth quarter, as investors digested key economic news and kept an eye on oil prices.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell about 100 points in midmorning trade before holding about 50 points lower, with UnitedHealth contributing the most losses. The S&P 500 fell 0.25 percent, with real estate and utilities leading decliners, as both fell 1 percent. The Nasdaq composite slid approximately 0.1 percent.

In economic news, the September Markit Manufacturing PMI came in at 51.5, a three-month low. “U.S. manufacturers signalled another moderate upturn in both production volumes and incoming new work during September, but the latest survey indicated a further loss of growth momentum from July’s recent peak,” Markit said.

The ISM Manufacturing index for September came in at 51.5, up from 49.4 in the previous month. Construction spending fell 0.7 percent in August, with analysts expecting a 0.2 percent increase.

This Week:

Monday

Auto sales

Wednesday

8:15 a.m.: ADP payrolls
8:30 a.m.: Trade deficit
9:45 a.m.: Markit services PMI
10 a.m.: ISM non-manufacturing
10 a.m.: Factory orders

Thursday

8:30 a.m.: Jobless claims

Friday

8:30 a.m.: Employment report
10 a.m.: Wholesale trade
3 p.m.: Consumer credit