The Dow Jones industrial average coasted to a new high yesterday, with US stocks and bonds looking an increasingly safe bet amid the latest relapse in Asia's economic and social turmoil.

The Dow rose 50.07 points - or 0.5 per cent - to 9,211.84, beating 4th May's record close of 9,192.66. The blue-chip barometer has now risen four consecutive sessions, gaining about 235 points.

Most broad-market indexes also showed modest gains, but remained well below record territory, underscoring the recent preference for blue-chip stocks.

For the second day in a row, stocks drew key support from the bond market, where the yield on the 30-year Treasury - a key determinant of borrowing costs - fell farther below 6 percent. The strength in bonds as money continued to flow away from Asian markets after Tuesday's fatal shooting of six student protesters in Indonesia.

The renewed uncertainty overseas distracted attention from some potentially unsettling economic data released before yesterday's open.

The US Labor Department reported that prices charged by factories and other producers rose in April for the first time in seven months.