NEW YORK (AP) — The stock market pulled back slightly Thursday, a day after the Dow Jones industrial average posted its strongest gain in more than a year.

Retailers reported mixed sales and the prospect of a new budget battle in Congress helped nudge stocks lower.

The Dow Jones industrial average was down 25 points to 13,387 an hour after the opening bell. UnitedHealth Group led the Dow lower, sinking $1.65 to $52.88, a 3 percent drop, after analysts at Deutsche Bank and other firms cut their ratings on the insurer's stock.