Stocks fell on Thursday as several top U.S. retailers missed estimates for December sales and energy shares lost ground as oil prices dipped.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> dropped 39.24 points, or 0.33 percent, to 11,683.65. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> fell 4.71 points, or 0.37 percent, to 1,271.85. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> dropped 1.52 points, or 0.06 percent, to 2,700.68.

(Editing by Kenneth Barry)

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