The Dow Jones index yielded 0.53%, the Nasdaq, with strong technological coloring, dropped 0.52%, and the S&P 500 0.29% around 2:40 p.m. GMT.
The day before, the indices had concluded in the green, supported by a new sign of weakening US inflation.
The Dow Jones gained 1.14% to 34,029.69 points, the Nasdaq climbed 1.99% to 12,166.27 points and the S&P 500, at its highest since February, rose 1.33% to 4,146, 22 stitches.
Several major US banks on Friday unveiled comfortable results for the first quarter thanks in particular to the rise in interest rates, seeming to have been barely affected by the turmoil that shook the world of finance in early March.
But at the same time, a 1% decline in retail sales in March — more than expected — dampened investor enthusiasm somewhat.
“Retail sales were weak and disappointing in March,” largely due to lower gasoline costs but also a decline in auto sales, said Chris Low of FHN Financial.
Another index showed mixed activity for March, that of industrial production.
This rose to +0.4%, better than expected, but it was only thanks to the demand for heating which boosted the public services production index while that of manufacturing production fell by 0. .5%.
Finally at 2:00 p.m. GMT, the University of Michigan published its first estimate of US consumer confidence for April.
This improved to 63.5 points (+2.4%), to the surprise of analysts.
However, consumer expectations for the evolution of inflation have worsened. They now see price increases reaching 4.6% this year when they hoped for 3.6% last month.
This pessimism of Americans might therefore invite them to consume less in the future, which worried investors and immediately sent stock market indices into the red.
In terms of banking results, JPMorgan Chase posted record first-quarter revenue on the back of rising interest rates and saw its net profit jump.
The action of the largest American bank by the size of the assets – which has however cautiously set aside an additional $ 1.1 billion to deal with possible unpaid bills from its customers -, climbed 7% around 2:20 p.m. GMT.
Citigroup took almost 3% following announcing better-than-expected results for the first quarter, also benefiting from more expensive interest rates.
Well Fargo oscillated between green and red at -0.48% following results that were better than expected.
The health insurance group United Health saw its title fall by 2.63% despite an increase in its turnover and net earnings per share in the first quarter.
Elsewhere on the stock market, the aircraft manufacturer Boeing, squeezed the Dow Jones, dropping 6.85%.
The aircraft manufacturer warned Thursday that deliveries of its flagship aircraft, the medium-haul 737 MAX, would be temporarily disrupted for quality problems on parts supplied by Spirit Aerosystems. The action of this supplier fell by 20%.
