U.S. stocks are mostly lower in afternoon trading Monday as investors waited for the latest updates about trade negotiations and the economy. Wall Street is particularly focused on any developments in the trade war ahead of a new round of tariffs on $160 billion of Chinese imports due to take effect on Sunday. That would raise prices on key products, including cell phones and laptops, and threaten to affect consumers. Gains from communications companies were held in check by losses from technology stocks. Merck and Sanofi slipped after announcing acquisitions of biotech companies.
