Cautious Dow inches to new high

US blue-chip stocks pushed further into record territory yesterday, posting a slim advance as investors gauged the strength of…

US blue-chip stocks pushed further into record territory yesterday, posting a slim advance as investors gauged the strength of Wall Street's latest rally. The Dow industrials ended up 0.23 per cent. The gain built on Tuesday's 115-point rally which had led to the Dow's first record close in six months.

Investors appeared to step back yesterday to reassess their positions at the market's current heights, analysts said.

"I think it's just a pause to reconsider and regroup," said Ms Christine Callies, chief investment strategist at Credit Suisse First Boston.

The Standard & Poor's 500 rose a point to 1020.01, its seventh record high in the past 10 sessions.

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The Nasdaq composite ended down about one-half of a point at 1708.55.

Advancing issues edged declining ones by a 15 to 13 ratio in moderate volume of about 595 million shares on the New York Stock Exchange.