Stocks fell slightly on Monday as investors looked ahead to U.S.-China trade talks, which are set to begin later this week.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 95.70 points, or 0.4% at 26,478.02. The S&P 500 dipped 0.5% to 2,938.79 while the Nasdaq Composite lost 0.3% to close at 7,956.29. The indexes alternated between slight gains and losses for most of the session before ultimately closing lower.

"Any real change or breakthrough is unlikely, but positive talks are going to be a catalyst for the market," said Phil Blancato, CEO of Ladenburg Thalmann Asset Management. He noted this week will also give investors clues about the market heading into year-end.

A report suggested Chinese officials were increasingly reluctant to agree to a broad trade deal pursued by President Donald Trump.

Vice Premier Liu He, who will lead negotiations for China, told dignitaries that his offer to the U.S. will not include commitments on reforming Chinese industrial policy or government subsidies, Bloomberg reported Sunday, citing sources familiar with the matter.

Trade talks between the U.S. and China are set to resume in Washington, D.C., on Thursday. Deputy-level talks kicked off on Monday.

The world's two largest economies have imposed tariffs on billions of dollars' worth of one another's goods since the start of 2018, battering financial markets and souring business and consumer sentiment.

Wall Street came into Monday's session after the Dow and S&P 500 posted their third straight weekly decline after a flurry of disappointing U.S. economic data suggested the ongoing trade war was starting to take its toll, stoking concerns of a possible recession.