Stocks fell on Thursday as data on new home sales in April and a downward revision to March's sales pointed to more weakness in the housing market, tempering recent optimism about the economy's prospects.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> was down 21.27 points, or 0.26 percent, at 8,278.75. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> was down 2.36 points, or 0.26 percent, at 890.70. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> was down 9.17 points, or 0.53 percent, at 1,721.91.

(Reporting by Ellis Mnyandu; Editing by Padraic Cassidy)