U.S. stocks drifted lower, easing major indexes a bit further below the all-time highs they set at the beginning of the week.

The S&P 500 fell 0.3% Wednesday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.4%, and the Nasdaq composite slipped 0.3%.

Micron Technology fell to give back some of its huge gain for the year even though it reported a better profit than expected. Homebuilders rose following a strong report on sales of new homes.

Stocks have rallied furiously in recent months since hitting a bottom in April.

On Wednesday:

The S&P 500 fell 18.95 points, or 0.3%, to 6,637.97.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 171.50 points, or 0.4%, to 46,121.28.

The Nasdaq composite fell 75.62 points, or 0.3%, to 22,497.86.

The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies fell 22.53 points, or 0.9%,

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