· The Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI fell 0.11 percent to end at 20,919.42 points and the S&P 500 .SPX lost or 0.22 percent to 2,394.44.
The Nasdaq Composite .IXIC dropped 0.22 percent to 6,115.96.
U.S. stocks fell on Thursday after worse-than-expected sales drops at Macy's and Kohl's sparked a selloff in shares of department stores and stirred fears that consumers are not spending enough to drive strong economic growth.
· Macy's (M.N) dismal quarterly performance sent its shares tumbling 17 percent, taking a toll on the consumer discretionary sector .SPLRCD, which fell 0.59 percent.
· Kohl's (KSS.N) dropped 7.86 percent after it reported a drop in quarterly sales, while shares of Nordstrom (JWN.N) and J.C. Penney Co Inc (JCP.N) each dropped more than 7 percent.
· Asian shares inched up Friday, hobbled by a downbeat day on Wall Street but still on track for weekly rises, while oil prices extended gains on hopes for output cuts.
· MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan .MIAPJ0000PUS rose 0.1 percent, shy of nearly two-year highs probed in the previous session but still up 1.8 percent for the week.
· Japan's Nikkei stock index .N225 slipped 0.4 percent in early trading.
Reference: Reuters
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