US stocks fell on Thursday as investors reassessed comments by the Federal Reserve chairman about economic stimulus and semiconductor shares weakened. During a second day of testimony about the economy, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke reiterated the US central bank would be ready to inject more money should the economy worsen. But he told a US Senate committee that the time had not come yet and noted inflation had picked up since late 2010.
The Dow Jones industrial average was down 50.82 points, or 0.41 percent, at 12,440.79. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index was down 8.49 points, or 0.64 percent, at 1,309.23. The Nasdaq Composite Index was down 34.07 points, or 1.22 percent, at 2,762.85. Technology stocks were Thursday's top decliners, continuing their losing streak for a second day. The Nasdaq was down more than 1 percent and the Merrill Lynch Semiconductor HOLDRS Trust lost 1.2 percent, near its 200-day moving average.
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