month low as traders waited to see if OPEC would take action to stem a price slide, which knocked 14 percent off crude prices last week. OPEC oil ministers were scheduled to meet this week. U.S. light crude rose 54 cents to $43.05 a barrel. Investor worries about lackluster consumer spending this holiday season also contributed to stocks' decline. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. made a lower-than-usual forecast for December sales growth and electronic retail chain Circuit City Stores Inc. reported a drop in sales. "The less-than-ebulient holiday season is also weighing on the market," said Joseph Keating, chief investment officer of AmSouth Asset Management Group. "So far the results for retailers have been rather tepid." Circuit City fell 8.8 percent to $14.79 after the No. 2 U.S. electronics chain reported an unexpected 4.3 percent drop in quarterly sales from stores open at least a year.
