Epic US Markets Update
US stocks fell slightly on Friday, and the Dow industrials posted the biggest weekly loss this year as rising bond yields hurt shares paying rich dividends and earnings from retailers disappointed investors.
The S&P 500 utilities sector, down 1.1 percent, led the day%u2019s decline as the yield on the benchmark 10-year US Treasury note rose to a two-year high, making the highest dividend-paying stocks less attractive.
The Dow Jones industrial average was down 30.72 points, or 0.20 percent, at 15,081.47. The Standard & Poor%u2019s 500 Index was down 5.49 points, or 0.33 percent, at 1,655.83. The Nasdaq Composite Index was down 3.34 points, or 0.09 percent, at 3,602.78.