U.S. Stocks Drop as Retail Sales Fall, Commodities Tumble

U.S. stocks fell, dragging the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index down from a record, as government data showed retail sales unexpectedly fell in March, commodities plunged and a gauge of consumer sentiment slipped.

Raw-material and energy shares lost the most among 24 groups in the S&P 500. Newmont Mining Corp. slumped 5.9 percent as gold dropped to its lowest since July 2011. DuPont Co. and Alcoa Inc. slid at least 0.9 percent. Banks retreated 1.1 percent as Wells Fargo & Co. reported a drop in revenue and M&T Bank Corp. delayed its planned purchase of Hudson City Bancorp.