Wall Street pauses after sharp rally this week; healthcare sole gainer

Nine of the 11 major S&P sectors declined in early trading; CVS rises on 2021 profit forecast raise, 2022 outlook

U.S. stock indexes slipped on Thursday after three straight days of gains following positive updates on the Omicron coronavirus variant, with focus now turning towards economic data for clues on the Federal Reserve's policy decision.

Nine of the 11 major S&P sectors declined in early trading, with economy-sensitive energy, financials and materials shares falling the most.

Technology stocks including Apple Inc, Microsoft Corp, Visa Inc and Nvidia Corp continued

to rise, but did little to boost the broader tech sector.

Amazon.com fell 0.5% after Italy's antitrust watchdog fined the e-commerce giant $1.28 billion for alleged abuse of market dominance.

Wall Street's main indexes were supported