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NEW YORK -- Stocks ended higher today as investors contemplated earnings, the economy, their taxes and waning consumer confidence. Bargain hunting led to solid gains in the Dow industrials, up for the fifth consecutive session. But investors waffled when it came to technology. Dow gains 65.6;
Nasdaq up 18Associated Press
"They are basically putting together some judgments about next year," said Barry Hyman, chief investment strategist for Weatherly Securities.
The Dow Jones industrial average climbed 65.60 to close at 10,868.76. The Nasdaq composite index, which fluctuated in earlier dealings, rose 18.41 to 2,557.76 and the Standard & Poor's 500 index advanced 5.30 to 1,334.22.
Advancers beat decliners slightly more than 2 to 1 on the New York Stock Exchange with 2,096 up, 832 down and 401 unchanged. NYSE volume was 1.02 billion shares, down slightly from 1.06 billion yesterday.
The Russell 2000 index, which tracks the performance of smaller companies, rose 14.73 to 494.03. The NYSE composite index gained 6.24 to 659.90; and the American Stock Exchange composite advanced 11.80 to 888.40.
The 10-year Treasury note's price was down 4/32 point, or $1.25 per $1,000 in face value, its yield rose to 5.12 percent from 5.11 percent late yesterday. Prices and yields move in opposite directions. The 30-year bonds were up 6/32 point and yielded 5.44 percent, down from 5.45 percent yesterday.
Gains were limited to stocks that inspired some confidence in investors -- who also continued selling companies with a weak earnings outlook.
Dell Computer and IBM suffered in the early going on news that Prudential Securities lowered fourth-quarter estimates for the two computer makers.
Dell was off 6 cents to finish at $17.94, while IBM fluctuated, managing to gain 56 cents at $85.25.