U.S. stocks fell, giving the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index its first four-day decline of the year, after energy shares dropped and Treasury yields jumped to a two-year high as investors awaited signals this week on the Federal Reserve’s stimulus plans.
Apache Corp. tumbled 4.6 percent, leading energy stocks to the biggest decline among 10 groups in the S&P 500 as crude prices fell. Exxon Mobil Corp. dropped for the 18th time in 19 days. Intel Corp. gained 1.7 percent after Piper Jaffray Cos. raised its rating on the shares. Edwards Group Ltd. surged 18 percent after Atlas Copco AB agreed to buy the company for $1.2 billion.
