US stocks fell on Friday, with the Nasdaq set to break a seven-session streak of gains, amid ongoing uncertainty over negotiations for a debt deal in Greece. In a positive sign, the new prime minister of Greece said he was certain that euro zone finance ministers would accept Athens' request for an extended loan, while Germany seemed to soften its tone after earlier this week rejecting Greece's proposal for a loan extension.
However, Maltese Finance Minister Edward Scicluna told the weekly Malta Today that the EU's biggest countries may be prepared to let Greece leave the euro zone. The CBOE Volatility index rose 3.4 percent, but at 15.81, the so-called "fear index" remains below its long-term average around 20. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 11.76 points, or 0.07 percent, to 17,974.01, the S&P 500 lost 3.28 points, or 0.16 percent, to 2,094.17 and the Nasdaq Composite added 2.17 points, or 0.04 percent, to 4,926.87.