NEW YORK, July 8 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks fell on Wednesday, as weakness in Microsoft Corp pulled the major indexes lower, while investors braced for the start of quarterly earnings season.
* The Dow Jones industrial average slid 8.54 points, or 0.10 percent, to 8,155.06. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index fell 2.55 points, or 0.29 percent, to 878.48. The Nasdaq Composite Index slid 7.49 points, or 0.43 percent, to 1,738.68.