Wall Street Closes Flat On A Cautious Trading

Key economic releases this week include consumer prices for March, while investors are looking ahead to earnings from JPMorgan Chase that will kick off the first-quarter reporting season.

Expectations for earnings are low, a dynamic that some analysts think could boost stocks if companies outperform. CFRA Research projects companies in the S&P 500 will report a 2.7 percent fall in operating earnings-per-share.

Other key events this week include a Brexit summit of European Union leaders on Wednesday and a policy announcement by the European Central Bank on the same day.

Boeing sank 4.5 percent as investors weighed the company's announcement late Friday that it was cutting production of its 737 planes due to the global grounding of the 737 MAX, with Citigroup downgrading the company and Morningstar estimating the crisis would shave $1.11 per share off of 2019 profits.

General Electric tumbled 5.2 percent following a bearish note from JPMorgan Chase, which downgraded the company, citing poor conditions in key businesses such as power and aviation fundamentals that are "weaker than meets the eye".

But digital security company Symantec jumped 5.4 percent following an upgrade from Goldman Sachs. (AFP)