NEW YORK (AP) - Worries about the economy have slowed a January stock rally. After a month of impressive gains that brought the Dow within 200 points of a record, the markets have paused this week. Stocks started the day lower Wednesday after a report showed that the U.S. economy unexpectedly contracted in the fourth quarter. That decline extended after the Federal Reserve said that it would continue to try to boost growth through a bond-buying program designed to keep borrowing costs down. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 44 points, or 0.3 percent, to close at 13,910.42, logging only its second decline in nine days. The Standard & Poor's 500 fell 6 points, or 0.4 percent, to 1,501.96, its biggest decline since Dec. 28. The Nasdaq composite fell 11 points to 3,142.31. The Fed acknowledged that the economy is still struggling to regain momentum, in a statement it released after its two-day policy meeting. The central bank said that growth had "paused in recent months," and while it was taking no new action, it would keep buying $85 billion of bonds a month. "The Fed didn't really say anything out of the ordinary, so you got the reaction you should've had in the morning," said Joe Saluzzi a co-founder at brokerage firm Themis Trading. When you've spent this much money trying to prop up an economy and you still come up with a negative print, that's bad news. Still, stocks remain on track for a great January. The Dow Jones average has surged 6.2 percent since the start of the year, climbing close to 14,000 and within touching distance of its record level. The S&P 500 has gained 5.3 percent this month, close to its highest level in more than five years. "To ignore this is folly," said Doug Cote, chief market strategist at ING Investment Management. Positive company earnings reports helped offset the disappointing news about the economy and stem a bigger decline. Amazon jumped $12.41, or 4.8 percent, to $272.76 after the world's biggest online retailer showed improving profit margins when it posted fourth-quarter earnings late Tuesday. Boeing, currently scrambling to fix battery problems that have grounded its 787 Dreamliner planes, gained 94 cents, or 1.3 percent, to $74.59 after it reported earnings that beat analysts' expectations. Payroll processor ADP said that employers added 192,000 jobs in January. Traders and investors will now turn their focus back on to company earnings and Friday's nonfarm employment report. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note, which moves inversely to its price, fell 1 basis point to 1.99 percent. Chesapeake Energy rose $1.14, or 6 percent, to $20.11 after the company said late Tuesday that its embattled CEO Aubrey McClendon will leave the company this spring. Avery Dennison, a packing materials company, rose $2.30, or 6.4 percent, to $38.44 after it posted fourth-quarter earnings that beat analysts' expectations and said it was selling two of its business units to CCL industries for $500 million. Copano Energy, a natural energy company, rose $4.90, or 14.8 percent, to $38.03 after the company said that it had agreed to be acquired by Kinder Morgan Energy Partners for about $3.2 billion in stock. MeadWestvaco, a packaging company, fell $1.30, or 3.9 percent, to $31.63 after the company reported earnings that fell short of analysts' expectations.