U.S. stocks fell, dragging the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index down from a nine-month high, after reports on job losses and service industries were worse than economists estimated. Treasuries and the dollar also declined.

Procter & Gamble Co. slid 2.8 percent after profit fell on lower sales of higher-priced skin care products and detergents. Electronic Arts Inc. sank 6.8 percent after reporting a quarterly loss. Declines were limited as financial shares rallied after mortgage insurer Radian Group Inc. posted better- than-estimated results and commodity producers gained as aluminum and copper rose to the highest in at least nine months.

The S&P 500 fell for the first time in five days, slipping 0.3 percent to 1,002.72 at 4:07 p.m. in New York. The gauge climbed yesterday to 0.1 point below its close on Nov. 4, the day President Barack Obama was elected. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 39.22 points, or 0.4 percent, to 9,280.97.

(Bloomberg.com)

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