Stocks tilted lower on Monday as investors took a breather from last week's sharp market rally and prepared for the next Federal Reserve meeting.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average, which leapt nearly 200 points last week, declined 32.12 points, or 0.3%, to 9337.95. Alcoa, Cisco Systems and 3M each fell more than 3%. The S&P 500 slipped 3.38 points, or 0.3%, to 1007.10.
Many investors snapped up health-care and other safe-haven plays. The S&P 500's health-care sector was its strongest category, gaining 0.8%. Merck, the Dow component, gained 1.7%.
Fed policy makers aren't expected to make any changes to their target range for the federal-funds rate, currently at a range of zero to 0.25%, when they wrap up a two-day meeting on Wednesday. Traders will be listening for any changes in the central bank's assessment of the economy. The Wall Street consensus is that a broader economic recovery is on the way.
"I think the market is already telling us that the economy is in growth mode," said Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at Avalon Partners in New York. "We get little intraday corrections, but people only take them as buying opportunities. You're not getting any meaningful fight to move to the upside."
The Nasdaq Composite Index was off 8.01 points, or 0.4%, at 1992.24. The Russell 2000 declined 0.53 points, or 0.1%, to 571.87.
Financial stocks, which have benefited lately from the unwinding of bearish bets, were mostly lower on Monday. Still, some of the sector's most beaten-down names continued to rise. Freddie Mac more than doubled after the mortgage-finance giant posted a quarterly profit and said it won't seek more government aid for now. Its sister company, Fannie Mae, climbed 52%.
Basic-materials stocks also slipped as investors took some profits in the sector. Commodity-related stocks have benefited from rising expectations of a global economic recovery, since companies would need to ramp up purchases of raw materials as a first step to increasing production of goods.
Among the big materials losers on Monday were AK Steel Holding, which fell 4.7%; Nucor, down 4.1%; and Weyerhaeuser, off 3.6%.
Treasury prices were higher on Monday as stocks declined. The 10-year note climbed 22/32 to yield 3.769%.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average, which leapt nearly 200 points last week, declined 32.12 points, or 0.3%, to 9337.95. Alcoa, Cisco Systems and 3M each fell more than 3%. The S&P 500 slipped 3.38 points, or 0.3%, to 1007.10.
Many investors snapped up health-care and other safe-haven plays. The S&P 500's health-care sector was its strongest category, gaining 0.8%. Merck, the Dow component, gained 1.7%.
Fed policy makers aren't expected to make any changes to their target range for the federal-funds rate, currently at a range of zero to 0.25%, when they wrap up a two-day meeting on Wednesday. Traders will be listening for any changes in the central bank's assessment of the economy. The Wall Street consensus is that a broader economic recovery is on the way.
"I think the market is already telling us that the economy is in growth mode," said Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at Avalon Partners in New York. "We get little intraday corrections, but people only take them as buying opportunities. You're not getting any meaningful fight to move to the upside."
The Nasdaq Composite Index was off 8.01 points, or 0.4%, at 1992.24. The Russell 2000 declined 0.53 points, or 0.1%, to 571.87.
Financial stocks, which have benefited lately from the unwinding of bearish bets, were mostly lower on Monday. Still, some of the sector's most beaten-down names continued to rise. Freddie Mac more than doubled after the mortgage-finance giant posted a quarterly profit and said it won't seek more government aid for now. Its sister company, Fannie Mae, climbed 52%.
Basic-materials stocks also slipped as investors took some profits in the sector. Commodity-related stocks have benefited from rising expectations of a global economic recovery, since companies would need to ramp up purchases of raw materials as a first step to increasing production of goods.
Among the big materials losers on Monday were AK Steel Holding, which fell 4.7%; Nucor, down 4.1%; and Weyerhaeuser, off 3.6%.
Treasury prices were higher on Monday as stocks declined. The 10-year note climbed 22/32 to yield 3.769%.
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