NEW YORK, Nov 8 — Wall Street stocks were mixed early today as markets awaited returns in US elections that will determine if President Biden’s Democratic Party maintains control of Congress.

Polls show the opposition Republican Party favoured to win at least one house of the legislature, raising the prospect of divided control of Washington.

Some investors cheer mixed control of Washington because it limits policy uncertainty. Analysts also note that the post-Election Day period is usually strong for equities, setting the stage for a potential rally in coming weeks.

About 20 minutes into trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.5 per cent at 32,980.50.

The broad-based S&P 500 added 0.1 per cent at 3,810.07, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index slipped less than 0.1 per cent to 10,561.15.

Among individual companies, Lyft sank nearly 20 per cent as the ride-hailing firm reported a US$422.2 million (RM2 billion) loss even as it pointed to strong demand from customers.

DuPont jumped 7.2 per cent as the chemical maker reported better-than-expected results and announced a new US$5 billion share repurchase programme. — AFP