Stocks drop as healthcare drags

By IBTimes Staff Reporter | February 03 2010 11:00 AM

Stocks fell on Wednesday as disappointing quarterly results from Pfizer Inc and others in the sector prompted investors to book profits in healthcare shares.

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* Financials and energy shares were the other biggest drags, a day after the market enjoyed its best two-day run-up since October 2009. Healthcare has been among the market's best performing sectors in recent weeks.

* The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> was down 33.41 points, or 0.32 percent, at 10,263.44. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> was down 6.77 points, or 0.61 percent, at 1,096.55. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> was down 8.98 points, or 0.41 percent, at 2,181.08.

(Reporting by Ellis Mnyandu; Editing by Kenneth Barry)