Results were mixed in the New York equities markets on Monday, but with not much movement in either direction by the end of the session. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up a fraction to 10,682.94 and the Nasdaq composite gained 0.3 percent to 2,182.83, but the S&P 500 fell fractionally to 1,240.57.

The lackluster performance followed gains last week that came on optimism that the huge reconstruction job after Hurricane Katrina would benefit the economy.

Two airlines trying to avoid bankruptcy saw declines. Shares in Northwest Airlines dropped by 3.3 percent to $3.31 after discussions with striking mechanics broke down, and Delta Air Lines fell by 22.7 percent to 85 cents as rumors circulated that a bankruptcy filing could come at any time.

In the oil and gas sectors, retreats were also abundant. Oil refiner Sunoco dropped 4.5 percent to $76.09, while Exxon Mobil lost 1.1 percent to $62.52 as crude oil prices fell. Meanwhile, natural gas producer Dynergy lost 1.9 percent to $4.66 after it announced that two of its facilities were damaged by Katrina.

Elsewhere, eBay was up by 0.8 percent to $38.94 after it announced that it will purchase internet telephone group Skype for $2.6 billion. Contractor Halliburton dropped by 3.8 percent to $63.60.