Among the weak spots was the department store operator Kohl's Corp , which slid 9.2% after reporting lower holiday season sales
The rally was also helped by easing demand for safe-haven government bonds, with investors looking for bargains in beaten-down stocks after three weeks of declines
(Reuters) - U.S. stocks dropped on Thursday, weighed down by a broad-based decline in technology stocks from Apple to chipmakers as well as a tumble in consumer staples such as Philip Morris and P&G.