How the Dow Jones industrial average fared on Thursday

U.S. stocks closed slightly lower on Thursday, as a slide in utility companies weighed on the market.

Investors had pushed up the prices of the dividend-rich stocks last year as bond yields dropped. Now that bond yields have crept higher since the end of January, the sector has fallen out of favor.

On Thursday:

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 44.08 points, or 0.2 percent, to 17,985.77.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index lost 2.23 points, or 0.1 percent, to 2,097.45.

The Nasdaq composite rose 18.34 points, or 0.4 percent, to 4,924.70.

For the week:

The Dow Jones industrial average is down 33.58 points, or 0.2 percent.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index is up 0.46 points, or 0.02 percent.

The Nasdaq composite has gained 30.86 points, or 0.6 percent.

For the year:

The Dow is up 162.70 points, or 0.9 percent.

The S&P 500 index is up 38.55 points, or 1.9 percent.

The Nasdaq is up 188.64 points, or 4 percent.