The stock market broadly has been rising faster than corporate profits, which raises the volume on criticism from skeptics that it’s gotten too expensive. The S&P 500 is still up nearly 25% for the year so far, on top of last year’s leap of 24.2%.

NEW YORK -- U.S. stocks drifted lower Monday ahead of a momentous week full of potential flashpoints in Washington, D.C., and around the world. The S & P 500 slipped 0.3%, though it remains near its record set last month. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 257 points, or 0.6%, while the Nasdaq composite slipped 0.3%.