Royal Dutch/Shell Group's New York shares declined US$1.71 to US$55.49; Exxon Mobil Corp, the world's largest publicly traded oil company, fell 47 cents to US$41.26; Chevron Corp shed US$0.37 to US$90.68; and Texaco Inc declined US$0.29 to US$68.83.
JD Edwards & Co fell US$1.98 to US$9.25. The business management software maker said it will have a fiscal third-quarter loss instead of the profit analysts estimated because of slowing sales.
Copper Mountain Networks Inc shed US$0.82 to US$2.70. The company reported a second-quarter loss that was wider than analysts expected as local phone companies ordered fewer high- speed Internet products. Copper Mountain's biggest customers are local phone companies that supply Internet digital subscriber lines to homes and businesses.
Some investors said the jobs report -- which showed unemployment last month stayed at 4.5 percent, rather than rising to 4.7 percent as forecast by economists -- wasn't positive enough to show that the US economy is improving.
"People are so totally confused as to where we are going," said Gil Knight of Allied Investment Advisers, which oversees US$13 billion in Baltimore. "The report really isn't going to make anyone want to do anything. The problem with the market is there is no direction right now." Sensormatic Electronics Corp surged US$8.18 to US$23.12. Tyco International Ltd, the biggest maker of security equipment, agreed to buy Sensormatic for its line of electronic-security products. Tyco will pay US$24 for each Sensormatic share, 61 percent more than yesterday's close. Tyco, which will also assume US$116 million in debt, fell US$0.51 to US$53.29.
Dial Corp rose US$0.59 to US$17.44 after saying it is seeking a buyer for all or parts of the consumer-products company. The company would best be served if Dial were "part of a larger enterprise," Dial said in a statement.
The Russell 2000 Index of smaller stocks fell 1.84, or 0.4 percent, to 487.15. The Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index, the broadest measure of US shares, declined 53.79, or 0.5 percent, to 11,242.85. The market value of US stocks declined US$61.9 billion.
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