Stocks took losses Wednesday despite rallying retail stocks, as overseas markets lagged and data showed a slip in October new-home sales. The Nasdaq and S&P 500 sagged 0.9%. The Dow Jones industrial average dragged 0.8%. Volume was soft, 5% lower on the Nasdaq and down 8% on the NYSE, compared with Tuesday morning's trade. The pace of new-home sales slowed a fraction in October, according to the Commerce Department. Data showed an annualized sales