US STOCKS-Wall Street slips after 4-week rally

                                

                                
 * Wal-Mart offers $4 bln for South Africa's Massmart
                                
 * AirTran soars after Southwest bid
                                
 * Unilever to buy Alberto Culver for $3.7 bln
                                
 * Indexes fall: Dow 0.1 pct, S&P 0.2 pct, Nasdaq 0.2 pct
                                
 * For up-to-the-minute market news see [STXNEWS/US]
  (Updates to open)
                                
 By Edward Krudy
                                
 NEW YORK, Sept 27 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks fell on Monday
following four weeks of gains for Wall Street as fresh worries
about euro zone debt offset optimism about market values after
a flurry of M&A activity.
                                
 Credit agency Moody's slashed its rating on Anglo Irish
Bank's [ANGIB.UL] lower-grade debt, a move that helped to drive
investors to safer assets, lifting German bunds and U.S.
Treasuries.
                                
 Wal-Mart Stores Inc <WMT.N>, the world's largest retailer,
offered to buy Massmart, South Africa's third largest retailer
by value, for more than $4 billion as it seeks to expand on the
continent. For details, see [ID:nLDE68Q05T]
                                
 Consumer goods group Unilever Plc <ULVR.L> agreed to buy
Alberto Culver Co <ACV.N>, the U.S. hair care group, for $3.7
billion in cash. Alberto Culver rose nearly 20 percent to
$37.66, while Unilever's <UL.N> New York-traded stock added 1.2
percent to $28.89. [ID:nLDE68Q07C]
                                
 U.S. stocks have advanced over the last four weeks, with
the benchmark S&P 500 index up more than 9 percent since the
start of September as investors welcomed signs the economy
might avoid a double-dip recession.
                                
 The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> dipped 10.11
points, or 0.09 percent, to 10,850.15. The Standard & Poor's
500 Index <.SPX> fell 1.67 points, or 0.15 percent, to
1,147.00. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> dropped 3.84
points, or 0.16 percent, to 2,377.38.
                                
 "We are nearing the end of the quarter, we've had a very
strong month," said Peter Jankovskis, co-chief investment
officer at OakBrook Investments in Lisle, Illinois. "We may be
in for a bit of consolidation here."
                                
 The S&P 500 is heading for its best month since March 2000
and its best September since 1939. September is usually one of
the weakest months for stocks.
                                
 The next resistance on the S&P 500 is at around 1,173, the
highest level since May 6, when it lost nearly 100 points
intraday during the "flash crash."
                                
 Shares of AirTran holdings Inc <AAI.N> rose 59 percent to
$7.24 after Southwest Airlines Co <LUV.N> offered to buy the
regional carrier for $7.69 per share. Southwest was up 5
percent to $12.88. [ID:nSGE68Q0GW]
                                
 Preorders in China for Apple Inc's <AAPL.O> iPhone 4 have
exceeded 200,000 units since the smartphone went on sale
Saturday, distributor China Unicom said. Apple added 0.5
percent to $293.65. [ID:nTOE68Q03F]
  (Reporting by Edward Krudy; editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)