Global stocks retreat on US data

US stocks slipped today, ending the Dow Jones industrial average's longest winning streak since 1996 as investors paused just below the S&P 500's record high.

The Dow Jones industrial average slipped 25.03 points, or 0.17 percent, to 14,514.11 at the close. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index shed 2.53 points, or 0.16 percent, to 1,560.70. The Nasdaq Composite Index dropped 9.86 points, or 0.30 percent, to end at 3,249.07.

For the week, the Dow rose 0.8 percent and the Nasdaq gained just 0.15 percent.

European shares retreated from more than four-year peaks today as weak US data prompted investors to lock in profits for the weekend and the March options expiry left the market less protected against a fall.

The FTSEurofirst 300 closed down 0.4 percent at 1,203.01 points, retreating from a fresh 4-1/2-year high of 1,209.05 points set at the start of the session.

The EuroSTOXX 50 fell 0.7 percent, with the move accentuated by the options expiry.