US shares fell on Thursday after the euro currency dropped against the safe-haven dollar and yen, raising worries about Europe's outlook and curbing investors' appetite for risky assets such as stocks. The euro sank after European Central Bank President Mario Draghi said the exchange rate was important to growth and price stability, which investors took as a sign the bank is concerned about the euro's advance in recent days.
US stocks have been in an uninterrupted uptrend for most of the year, with the S&P 500 gaining more than 5 percent for 2013. "The market is a bit shaky on the back of some of the Draghi comments" amid worry the strength of the euro might hamper economic recovery, said Andre Bakhos, director of market analytics at LEK Securities in New York.
The Dow Jones industrial average was down 92.05 points, or 0.66 percent, at 13,894.47. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index was down 7.93 points, or 0.52 percent, at 1,504.19. The Nasdaq Composite Index was down 14.95 points, or 0.47 percent, at 3,153.52. Housing and retail stocks were the day's biggest decliners. The housing sector index was off 1 percent and the S&P housing index was off 0.5 percent.
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