Dow off 70.25

NEW YORK -- Blue-chip stocks fell today as money continued to flow toward small-company shares with less exposure to the Asian political and economic turmoil.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 70.25 points to close at 8,899.95 despite an early 56-point foray back above 9,000. For the week, the Dow lost 214.49 points.

Advancers led decliners by a 7-to-5 margin on the New York Stock Exchange, with 1,715 up, 1,238 down and 572 unchanged. NYSE volume was 431.97 million shares, down from 466.22 million yesterday.

Broader indicators were mixed, with those dominated by secondary names advancing for a second straight session.

The Standard & Poor's 500 fell 6.77 to 1,090.82 and the technology-heavy Nasdaq composite index dropped 15.75 to 1,778.87. The NYSE composite index lost 1.82 to 565.28. But the American Stock Exchange composite index gained 1.02 to 714.60 and the Russell 2000 index of smaller companies rose 0.81 at 456.62.

The price of the Treasury's main 30-year bond rose 9/32 point, or $2.81 per $1,000 in face value, by late afternoon, while its yield dropped to 5.80 percent from 5.82 percent late yesterday.

The blue-chip decline capped a volatile week in which the latest wave of Asian jitters sent the Dow plunging 150 points on Tuesday and as much as 175 points more on Wednesday before rallying back and finishing just 27 points lower.

That rebound quickly lost momentum with a budding nuclear arms race between India and Pakistan adding to the uncertainty of an Asian backdrop already wracked by sickly economics and political instability.

Overseas, Tokyo's Nikkei stock average fell 0.8 percent, Frankfurt's DAX index rose 1.6 percent and London's FT-SE 100 rose 0.1 percent.