Dow up 18.15

NEW YORK -- Stocks flirted with new highs for the first time since early October today, but then gave back most of the session's gains as investors took a defensive stance before tomorrow's pivotal economic data on the U.S. unemployment rate.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 18.15 points to close at 8,050.16 to notch its fifth straight winning session, but only after surrendering a midday gain of 81 points and briefly dipping into negative territory. The Dow now stands about 209 points shy of its Aug. 6 record of 8,259.31.

Advancers led decliners by a 7-to-6 margin on the New York Stock Exchange, with 1,582 up, 1,357 down and 524 unchanged. NYSE volume was 632.15 million shares edging yesterday's hefty tally of 623.45 million.

Broad-market indicators finished mixed.

The S&P 500 fell 3.67 to 973.10 after surrendering a 61/2 point gain that would have beaten Oct. 7's record close of 983.12 by a thin margin. The New York Stock Exchange index fell 0.72 to 509.43 after creeping within 1 point of record territory. The Nasdaq index fell 1.71 to 1,613.42, and the American Stock Exchange index dropped 3.30 to 665.80, but the Russell 2000 index of smaller companies rose 1.10 to 434.91.

Today's rally faded as the bond market gave back an early gain that pushed the yield on the 30-

year Treasury as low as 5.99 percent. The yield -- a key determinant of the interest charged on various loans -- hadn't been below 6 percent since January 1996.

The benchmark 30-year bond fell 3/8, or $3.75 per $1,000 bond, by late afternoon, pushing its yield up 3 basis points to 6.04 percent.