NEW YORK -- Stocks struggled higher today after slipping for the second straight session amid a spate of warnings about technology sector profits. Dow gains 13
The Dow Jones industrial average rose 13.18 points to close at 8,032.01 after erasing an early 57-point deficit, nearly a repeat performance of yesterday's session, when the Dow edged higher just before the close for a 5-point gain.
Advancers led decliners by a 9-to-7 margin on the New York Stock Exchange, with 1,665 up, 1,272 down and 525 unchanged. NYSE volume was 623.44 million shares vs. 575.29 million yesterday.
Broad-market indicators also pushed into positive territory during the afternoon.
The Standard & Poor's 500-stock list rose 5.09 to 976.77, less than 7 points from its Oct. 7 record finish at 983.12. The NYSE composite index rose 2.50 to 510.14, about 4 points shy of record terrain. The Nasdaq composite index, which fell as much as 15 points during the session, rose 8.76 to close at 1,615.13.
The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies gained 1.32 to 433.80, and the small-company dominated American Stock Exchange composite index rose 3.40 to 669.10.
Helping cushion the decline in stocks was a strong day in the bond market, where the key yield on the 30-year Treasury nearly grazed 6 percent for the first time since early 1996. The yield -- a key determinant of how much interest is charged on many loans -- fell as low as 6.05 percent.
But the price of the main 30-year bond was up 11/32 point, or $3.44 per $1,000 in face value, around late afternoon, while its yield slipped to 6.01 percent from 6.03 percent late yesterday.