The S&P 500 ended its six-day winning streak on Thursday, retreating as worries intensified that Washington's "fiscal cliff" negotiations were dragging on with little progress.
The Dow Jones industrial average fell 74.73 points, or 0.56 percent, to end unofficially at 13,170.72. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index dropped 9.03 points, or 0.63 percent, to finish unofficially at 1,419.45. The Nasdaq Composite Index lost 21.65 points, or 0.72 percent, to close unofficially at 2,992.16.