Stock prices drifted lower in New York yesterday, halting another attempt by the Dow Jones industrial average to close above 10,000. At the close on Wall Street, the Dow was down 51.06 points - or 0.5% - at 9,879.41.

The Standard and Poor's 500 fell 8.54 to 1,297.82, and the technology-heavy Nasdaq composite index declined 10.30 to 2,428.97.