U.S. stocks fell on Monday, with Wall Street retreating from all-time highs, as investors looked to the start of the earnings season and considered whether the Federal Reserve would hike interest rates sooner than expected.
"The market activity today is almost discernible. It looks like it's down on really no news to speak of," said Mark Luschini, chief investment strategist at Janney Montgomery Scott.
One factor potentially weighing on the market is Thursday's nonfarm payrolls report, which "could possibly complicate the Fed's narrative. That run rate of job creation is going to get them to their maximum employment rate" rather quickly if it continues, Luschini said.
GT Advanced Technologies declined after UBS downgraded the provider of electronics technology to neutral from buy and Canaccord Genuity Group cut the stock to hold from buy. Archer Daniels Midland climbed after the agribusiness company said it would buy Wild Flavors, a Swiss natural flavors company. Delta Air Lines dropped after joining other carriers in reducing service to Venezuela
On Tuesday, Alcoa releases second-quarter earnings, with Wells Fargo following three days later.
"What we're going to need to hear managements say in their quarterly releases is that they're comfortable with the outlook; the real question is will they cut guidance for the second half," said Tobias Levkovich, chief U.S. equity strategist at Citigroup.
Read MoreEarnings could put more sizzle into the stock market's bull run
Multiple Dow components will be among the dozens of large companies slated to release earnings next week.
Goldman Sachs Group moved up its projected timing for the Fed to raise interest rates, forecasting the central bank would increase its benchmark rate in the third quarter of 2015 instead of the first three months of 2016.
The Fed on Wednesday is scheduled to release the minutes from its June policy session.
Major U.S. Indexes
After a 75-point drop, the Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 44.05 points, or 0.3 percent, to 17,024.21, with UnitedHealth Group leading blue-chip losses that included 19 of 30 components.
Read MoreDow 17,000? Another milestone matters more
The dropped 7.79 points, or 0.4 percent, to 1,977.65, with materials falling the most and utilities the best performing among its 10 major sectors.
After marking a third straight week of gains last week, the Nasdaq lost 34.40 points, or 0.8 percent, to 4,451.53.
The Chicago Board Options Exchange Volatility Index, a measure of investor uncertainty, rose 11 percent to 11.43.
For every share rising, more than two declined on the New York Stock Exchange, where nearly 602 million shares traded. Composite volume neared 2.7 billion.
On the New York Mercantile Exchange, gold futures for August delivery shed $3.60, or 0.3 percent, to $1,317.00 an ounce, and crude-oil futures for August delivery dropped 53 cents, or 0.5 percent, to $103.53 a barrel.
The dollar held steady against the currencies of major U.S. trading partners and the yield on the 10-year Treasury note used to figure mortgage rates and other consumer loans fell 2 basis points to 2.617 percent.
On Thursday, U.S. stocks rose, lifting the Dow industrials above 17,000, after the government reported the economy created a better-than-expected 288,000 jobs in June and the unemployment rate fell to 6.1 percent.
Read MoreDow finishes above 17,000 on strong payrolls report
—By CNBC's Kate Gibson
Coming Up This Week:
Tuesday
Earnings: Alcoa, Bob Evans, The Container Store
7:30 a.m.: NFIB small business survey
10:00 a.m.: JOLTS
1:00 p.m.: $27 billion three-year note auction
3:00 p.m.: Consumer credit
Wednesday
Earnings: WD-40, MSC Industrial, Texas Industries
7:00 a.m.: Mortgage applications
1:00 p.m.: $21 billion 10-year note auction
2:00 p.m.: FOMC minutes
Thursday
Earnings: Family Dollar, Progressive, Barracuda Networks, Chevron (preliminary), PriceSmart
8:30 a.m.: Jobless claims
10:00 a.m.: Wholesale inventories
1:00 p.m.: $13 billion 30-year auction
1:15 p.m.: Kansas City Fed President Esther George
Friday
Earnings: Wells Fargo, Infosys, Fastenal
2:00 p.m.: Federal budget
2:45 p.m.: Atlanta Fed President Dennis Lockhart, Chicago Fed President Charles Evans
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