Wall Street ended little changed Monday as investors awaited the U.S. election.

The U.S. Institute for Supply Management reported that the manufacturing sector further contracted in October. The manufacturing index came to 38.9 in October, its lowest level in 26 years. Economists had expected the index might drop to 41 from 43.5 in September.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Commerce Department reported that construction spending fell by 0.3 percent in September, less than the 0.8 percent decline economists had expected.

U.S. factory activity contracted sharply in October, falling to its lowest in 26 years as the financial crisis racked the world's largest economy.

Ford Motor's U.S. sales for October were down 30.2 percent on last year, with General Motors, Chrysler, Nissan and Volvo all reporting considerable slumps year on year.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 5.18 points, or 0.06 percent, to 9,319.83. The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 2.45, or 0.25 percent, to 966.30, while the Nasdaq composite index rose 5.38, or 0.31 percent, to 1,726.33.

(Xinhua News Agency November 4, 2008)