NEW YORK — A reminder that the U.S. economy still remains a long way from being fully healed after the recession put the brakes on a January rally that has pushed stocks close to record levels. The Standard & Poor’s 500 logged its biggest drop of the year.

Stocks started the day lower 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 its bond-buying program to spur growth.

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 5.88 points, or 0.4 percent, to 1,501.96, its biggest decline since Dec. 28. The Nasdaq composite fell 11.35 points to 3,142.31.

Declining stocks outpaced advancing ones on the New York Stock Exchange. Consolidated volume was above average at about 3.7 billion shares.

The U.S. economy shrank from October through December for the first time since the recession ended, hurt by the biggest cut in defense spending in 40 years, fewer exports and sluggish growth in company stockpiles, the Commerce Department said Wednesday.

The Fed acknowledged that the economy is still struggling to regain momentum, in a statement released Wednesday afternoon after its two-day meeting, saying that growth had “paused in recent months.”

Still, stocks remain on trackfor 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.

Investors bought stocks after lawmakers reached a deal to avoid the “fiscal cliff” and on optimism that the U.S. housing market is recovering and thejobs market is slowly healing.

U.S. gross domestic product, the volume of all goods and services produced, contracted at an annual rate of 0.1 percent in the fourth quarter, down from a 3.1 percent growth rate in the July-September quarter.

“To ignore this is folly,” said Doug Cote, chief market strategist at ING Investment Management. “Certainly, this market could continue to move forward, but ignoring the fundamentals is not something I’d counsel my clients to do.”

Positive company earnings reports helped offset the disappointing news about the economy and stem a bigger decline.

Amazon shares 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. Rising profits from commercial jets offset a smaller profit from defense work.

Business, Pages 28 on 01/31/2013