NEW YORK -- The Standard & Poors 500 index set another record and the Dow industrials rose just shy of 9,000 today as the push into popular blue-chip names continued with the second quarter winding down. Dow gains 52.8
The Dow rose 52.82 points to 8,997.36, nearly posting its first close above 9,000 since June 9. An early afternoon gain of 108 points had put the blue-chip barometer within 160 points of May 13's record close of 9,211.84.
Advancers led decliners by a 3-to-2 margin on the New York Stock Exchange, with 1,837 up, 1,184 down and 497 unchanged. NYSE volume was 543.71 million shares, up slightly from Friday's sluggish pace.
The Standard & Poor's 500 closed at a new high for the third time in four sessions, gaining 5.29 to close at 1,138.49. The red-hot Nasdaq composite index posted another sharp gain, up 21.55 to 1,891.08, as the resurgent technology group continued a powerful two-week rebound.
The NYSE composite index rose 2.64 to 580.17, and the American Stock Exchange composite index rose 2.94 to 720.81. The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies climbed 3.56 to 453.83.
U.S. bonds fell as the dollar declined, and investors held off buying Treasury securities before a two-day Federal Reserve policy meeting and the June employment report later this week.
The benchmark 30-year Treasury bond fell 6/32, or $1.88 per $1,000 bond, to 106 28/32. Its yield was 5.64 percent, up 1 basis point, and just 7 basis points above the record low reached two weeks ago.
The dollar fell to 141.67 yen in late New York trading from 142.21 Friday.