U.S. stocks fell

U.S. stocks fell, halting a three- day gain in the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index, after United Parcel Service Inc. sank and economic reports missed estimates as investors awaited tomorrow’s European summit. Stocks extended losses after consumer confidence unexpectedly slumped in October to the lowest level since March 2009, when the U.S. economy was in a recession, as Americans’ outlooks for employment and incomes soured. Separate data showed that home prices in 20 U.S. cities dropped more than forecast in August, highlighting one of the obstacles facing the economic recovery in its third year. European leaders will hold a summit tomorrow as they seek to bolster the region’s rescue fund, recapitalize banks and provide debt relief to Greece. Boosting the effectiveness of the European Financial Stability Facility will require further talks with investors as German lawmakers prepare to vote on its new powers, a European Union document showed.

S&P 500 1,244 -10.47 -0.83%, NASDAQ 2,672 -27.27 -1.01%, Dow 11,839 -74.33 -0.62%

All 10 groups in the S&P 500 retreated as a gauge of financial stocks slid 2 percent.

UPS, the largest package- delivery company and a proxy for the economy, retreated 1.9 percent after international shipping growth began to cool while U.S. expansion stagnated. The company’s total U.S. volume was flat in the third quarter because of “the slow U.S. economy,” Atlanta-based UPS said today in a statement. A 4.6 percent increase in shipments outside the U.S. trailed the 6.2 percent gain in the previous three months.

3M Co. (MMM), the maker Scotch-Brite sponges, lost 5.2 percent after cutting its 2011 profit forecast. The maker of auto parts and Scotch-Brite sponges cut its 2011 profit forecast after reporting third-quarter profit that fell short of analysts’ estimates.

Netflix plunged 35 percent to $77.74. The company faces rising content costs, a customer revolt over a price increase and startup costs as it expands into Latin America, followed by the U.K. and Ireland in early 2012.