NEW YORK -- Most stocks fell again today, but Internet and blue-chip technology shares forged ahead despite pressures to take profits after a month of big gains. Dow sinks 34
The Dow Jones industrial average gave back a 26-point gain and fell 33.98 points to close at 8,863.98, its second down day in a row after a string of eight sessions without a loss.
Broader stock indexes also extended yesterday's modest downturn -- with the exception, once again, of the technology-laden Nasdaq composite.
While it was the second straight day of profit-taking, the selling remained very mild compared with the huge gains racked up since the market rebound began in early October. The Dow fell 77 points yesterday, just the fifth losing day since Oct. 8, when the blue-chip measure slid below 7,500 and reversed course.
Decliners led advancers on the New York Stock Exchange with 1,801 down, 1,249 up and 453 unchanged.
The S&P 500 fell 1.94 to close at 1,128.26, and the NYSE composite index dropped 1.72 at 557.42. But the Nasdaq index rose 4.57 to close at 1,865.62. The small company-dominated American Stock Exchange composite index lost 1.02 to 665.09 and the Russell 2000 index slipped 1.57 at 396.86.
The price of the Treasury's main 30-year bond was up 3/32 point, or 94 cents per $1,000 in face value, by late afternoon, while its yield slipped to 5.28 percent from 5.29 percent late yesterday.
Japan's Nikkei stock average fell 0.6 percent. Germany's DAX index fell 2.2 percent, Britain's FT-SE 100 edged lower, and France's CAC-40 fell 1.1 percent.