WALL Street stocks ended mostly higher yesterday in quiet trading as bond prices firmed.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 0.74 points to close at 5,762.86. The blue chip barometer, which set new highs twice this week, had risen nearly 37 points in the morning before retreating.

Advances outnumbered declines by a slim margin on the New York Stock Exchange, with 1,183 up, 1,083 down and 864 unchanged.

NYSE volume totalled 329.14 million shares, against 431.32 million in the previous session.

At the American stock Exchange, the market value index rose 1.27 to 613.95.