Stocks dipped toward session lows on Friday, weighed down by a pullback in shares of energy companies that followed oil futures lower.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> was down 22.52 points, or 0.23 percent, at 9,604.96. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> fell 1.33 points, or 0.13 percent, at 1,042.81. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> dropped 4.99 points, or 0.24 percent, at 2,079.03.

After five straight days of gains some investors opted to stay on the sidelines, making the broader market susceptible to profit-taking ahead of the weekend.

U.S. front-month crude shed 1.3 percent.

(Reporting by Ellis Mnyandu; editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)

Energy