Blue chip stocks moved higher yesterday, lifted by end-of-quarter buying.

The Dow industrials gained 52.82 points (0.59 percent) at 8,997.36. The index had been as much as 100 points higher during the course of the trading day.

Volume was 547 million shares with 1,811 gainers, 1,166 losers and 514 unchanged.

On the bond market, the average yield on bellwether 30-year Treasury bonds was up at 5.645 percent against 5.628 percent Friday on profit-taking.

Dean Witter senior trader Michael Lyons commented that with just four days in the week as the market heads for the Independence Day holiday volume is low, but that selective buying by fund managers has supported the market.

"All these experts are talking about a summer rally and it looks like they are going to talk the market into a rally," he said.

Rockwell was up 9/16 at 49, after the electronics company said it would eliminate 3,800 jobs. Compaq was up 3/8 at 29-5/16 after announcing that its merger with Digital Equipment and Tandem Computers would lead to the elimination of 5,000 jobs.

Boeing was down 1-1/8 at 449/16 after British media reports that British Airways could order Airbus aircraft over Boeing.

The Nasdaq composite index, weighted with technology stocks, rose 21.55 points to 1,891.08.