NEW YORK, June 4 ― The three major US stock indexes declined yesterday on weaker-than-expected economic data, while shares of Alphabet, Facebook and Amazon.com fell sharply on fears the companies are the targets of US government antitrust regulators, putting pressure on the tech-laden Nasdaq.

The S&P 500's communications, technology and consumer discretionary sectors were the biggest losers, but the materials index showed strong gains with the biggest boost from Dupont .

The benchmark S&P 500 swung in and out of negative territory as investors also eyed the latest comments around the US trade battles with both China and Mexico as well as US President Donald Trump's decision Friday to end preferential trade treatment for India.

“We're surprised the market didn't take a sourer tone today not only with China digging in, the Mexico headlines and the US revoking India's status as a developing country,” said John Augustine, chief investment officer at Huntington National Bank in Columbus, Ohio, also citing weak manufacturing data.

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“Investors must be thinking in some form that this is as bad as the headlines and economic reports are going to get this week,” Augustine said.

An ISM survey showed US manufacturing growth unexpectedly slowed in May, driving demand for the safety of government bonds. Two-year yields hit their lowest since September 2017 on growing conviction that the Federal Reserve will start cutting interest rates to stave off a recession.

The data represents the latest fallout from the Sino-US trade war, which flared up dramatically last month, and Trump's threat last week to impose tariffs on all Mexico imports.

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At 2.55pm ET, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 60.24 points, or 0.24 per cent, to 24,754.8, the S&P 500 lost 13.42 points, or 0.49 per cent, to 2,738.64 and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 122.51 points, or 1.64 per cent, to 7,330.64.

The Nasdaq would confirm a correction if it closes at 7347.5964 or lower, which would put it 10 per cent below its May 3 closing record.

High profile internet stocks dominated trading on the day with Facebook Inc falling as much as 9.3 per cent after the Wall Street Journal reported that the Federal Trade Commission has secured the right to examine how the social media company practices affect digital competition. The stock was on pace for its biggest one-day drop since July 26.

Alphabet Inc tumbled as much as 7.1 per cent after sources told Reuters the US Justice Department is preparing an investigation to determine if the Google-parent broke antitrust laws. Amazon.com slipped as much as 5.4 per cent on a report that the e-commerce giant could be put under the watch of the FTC.

The communication services sector was down 2.6 per cent, the biggest drop of the S&P's 11 major sectors with pressure from Facebook and Google while Amazon shares helped pull the consumer discretionary sector down 0.9 per cent.

The S&P materials sector was the biggest percentage gainer of the S&P's major sectors, with a 2.5 per cent gain. Dupont's 11.5 per cent gain accounted for roughly half of the sector's rise in the first trading session after it spun off its agriculture business Corteva Inc.

Healthcare was one bright spot for the Nasdaq with the Nasdaq biotech index climbing 1.8 per cent, helped by shares of companies including Amgen Inc and Gilead. Amgen and Merck & Co reported positive drug data at the annual American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting in Chicago.

Amgen jumped 4 per cent after its drug showed a high response rate in a small lung and colon cancer trial, while Merck rose 1.3 per cent after data showed nearly a quarter of patients who received immunotherapy Keytruda as an initial treatment for advanced lung cancer were still alive after five years.

Humana gained 2.3 per cent after saying it would not make a bid to combine with health insurer Centene Corp, which plunged 8 per cent.

Boeing Co, the single largest US exporter to China, fell 1.5 per cent and was the biggest drag on the blue chip Dow index.

The S&P 500 posted 14 new 52-week highs and 21 new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 21 new highs and 147 new lows. ― Reuters