US stocks fell on Friday as weak industrial and energy shares overshadowed robust results from technology heavy-weights Microsoft and Amazon.com. Energy shares slid as crude prices lost more than 1 percent to fall to around $80 a barrel on caution about demand and high inventory levels.
Oilfield services company Schlumberger Ltd dropped 4 percent to $65.89 after it warned natural gas activity would remain weak until late 2010. Shares of Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp, the second-biggest US railroad, slid 6.4 percent to $79.18, after reporting a 30 percent drop in quarterly profit. "Energy and industrials are holding the broader market back.
You've got a bit of profit taking after the big run up in crude." The Dow Jones industrial average fell 76.41 points, or 0.76 percent, to 10,004.90. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index lost 9.70 points, or 0.89 percent, to 1,083.21. The Nasdaq Composite Index was off 1.10 points, or 0.05 percent, to 2,164.16.