Stocks sensitive to interest rate increases such as banks and financial services companies slipped for a second consecutive session. Citigroup Inc, a Dow component, was down 38 cents at $48.80. Banc of America Corp slipped 41 cents to $46.36.
The Dow Jones industrial average ended down 80.62 points, or 0.74 percent, at 10,754.26. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index was down 9.59 points, or 0.79 percent, at 1,200.75. The Nasdaq Composite Index was down 26.09 points, or 1.25 percent, at 2,061.34.
Trading was active, with 1.58 billion shares changing hands on the New York Stock Exchange, above the 1.46 billion daily average for last year. About 1.95 billion shares were traded on Nasdaq, above the 1.81 billion daily average last year.
Decliners outnumbered advancers on the New York Stock Exchange and on Nasdaq by about 2-to-1.
In economic news, data from the Conference Board, a private business group, showed the index of leading US economic indicators fell by a slightly greater amount in January than economists polled by Reuters had predicted.
But the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia said Thursday its regional manufacturing activity index rose to 23.9 in February - higher than the Wall Street economists expected.
Geopolitical issues were also a concern. Thursday, US President George W. Bush called on Syria to withdraw its forces from Lebanon. He also said there was still time to use diplomacy to keep Iran from developing a nuclear weapon and vowed to support Israel if Tehran threatened its security.
A slip in oil prices failed to support the market. US crude for March delivery settled 79 cents lower at $47.54 a barrel.
Warren West, principal at Greentree Brokerage Services, said there was a downwards impact on the market ahead of Friday's expiration of February's equity option.
"Even with all the selling taking place the market isn't falling apart. so if anything the options expiration is causing the market to stall," he said. Among stocks sliding in the session were home loan funders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Greenspan urged Congress on Thursday to significantly cut the mortgage portfolios of the pair to avoid "almost inevitable" problems for the US financial system. Fannie fell more than 2 percent, or $1.41 to $60.61, while Freddie fell 3 percent, or $1.99 to $63.90.
Altria Group Inc tugged on the Dow, falling 1.2 percent, or 79 cents to $64.72, a day after a government request that a federal court reconsider a ruling favourable to the tobacco industry. Reynolds American Inc, which owns R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Holdings Inc, fell 1.4 percent, or $1.18 to $81.52.
Meanwhile, higher earnings from computer and printer maker Hewlett-Packard Co failed to inspire gains in technology stocks. HP edged down 20 cents to $20.86 and its rivals' stocks also declined. International Business Machines Corp was off 87 cents at $93.75, while Dell Inc was down 26 cents at $40.34.