1.   But market retreats are not the main criteria.

2.   For a decade, American investors have learned that every market retreat is an opportunity to buy, because stocks always seem to recover.

3.   Some investors are hedging bets in case the U.S. equity market retreats from current highs, traders said.

4.   Still some money managers said they would not be surprised to see the market retreat further over the next few weeks.

5.   Utility stocks, another historically favored sector in market retreats because of their consistent earnings and dividend payouts, also look underpriced to some analysts.

6.   Major blue chips led the market retreat, with foreign fund managers among the biggest sellers.

7.   U.S. Treasury bond prices slumped Friday in a broad market retreat that analysts called an apt finish to the worst bond year in a generation.