NEW YORK - US stocks fell on Friday, ending four weeks of back-to-back gains, as political instability resurfaced in Europe and investors braced for a confidence vote in Greece after US markets close.
The vote on Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou leaves the fate of a $130 billion bailout deal hanging in the balance. Investors are once more chewing over worst-case scenarios after markets were again engulfed by volatility less than a week after a framework solution to Greece's woes had been agreed.
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Stock sectors most exposed to weakness in European banks and tied to economic growth, such as industrials and financials, were among the weakest. The S&P's financial index led losses, falling 1.4 percent on the day.
