NEW YORK, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- U.S. stocks ended lower on Monday, as investors awaited upcoming reports this week regarding the economy and inflation.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 62.30 points, or 0.16 percent, to 39,069.23. The S&P 500 dipped 19.27 points, or 0.38 percent, to 5,069.53, pulled back from its record high. The Nasdaq Composite Index lost 20.57 points, or 0.13 percent, to 15,976.25.

Eight of the 11 primary S&P 500 sectors ended in red, with utilities and communication services leading the laggards by losing 2.10 percent and 2.09 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, energy and consumer discretionary led the gainers by rising 0.32 percent and 0.23 percent, respectively. The health care sector has added 7.8 percent this year, outpacing the S&P 500's 6.5 percent gain.

On Monday, Amazon formally joins the Dow Jones Industrial Average, taking the place of Walgreens Boots Alliance. Over the past year, shares of the leading e-commerce platform have surged by over 80 percent, contributing to the momentum that has propelled the S&P 500 to record highs. In contrast, the Dow has faced challenges in keeping pace with this growth.

As technology has increasingly dominated the U.S. economy and market in the last two decades, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, which has a heavier focus on industrial sectors, has continuously lagged behind in its efforts to incorporate more of the rapidly growing tech companies. As of last Friday, the three largest tech stocks in the Dow by market capitalization were Apple, Microsoft, and Salesforce. Notably, companies like Nvidia and Alphabet were notably absent from the index.

The inclusion of Amazon in the Dow Jones Industrial Average does not guarantee a rally in the index. Historical data indicates that stocks removed from the Dow often outperform their replacements, particularly in the short term.

U.S. Treasury yields increased on Monday, exerting additional pressure on the equity market. The yield on the benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury note wavered early but then inched up to settle at 4.283 percent.

In January, new home sales fell short of economists' projections due to persistently high mortgage interest rates. According to seasonally adjusted data released by the Census Bureau and Department of Housing and Urban Development on Monday, sales of new single-family homes reached 661,000 for the month, reflecting a modest increase of 1.5 percent.

Investors are currently monitoring whether the momentum in artificial intelligence (AI) can be sustained amid lingering economic and inflation risks. Additionally, they are looking forward to the release of the monthly personal consumption expenditures price index, which is the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge, scheduled for Thursday.