U.S. stocks started the week on a neutral note, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 indices hovering around the flatline by midday trading in New York. This comes after both indices reached fresh record highs last Friday.

Small-cap stocks outperformed their larger counterparts, with theiShares Russell 2000 ETF(NYSE:IWM) gaining 0.8%. Meanwhile, blue-chip stocks of the Dow Jones index dipped slightly by 0.1%.

Across the Atlantic, French legislative elections concluded with a surprising victory for a left-wing bloc, though they failed to secure an absolute majority. This news led to a downturn in French stocks on the...