Stocks fell yesterday as 1998 earnings expectations continued to dampen, prompting investors to lock in some gains from this week's rebound. The Dow Jones fell 92.92 points - or 1.19 per cent. The blue-chip average had gained 204 points in the previous three sessions, nearly wiping out Friday's 222-point slide.

Declining issues outnumbered advancers by a 6-to-5 margin on the New York Stock Exchange, with 1,349 up, 1,602 down and 516 unchanged.

NYSE volume totalled 568.04 million shares, against 591.64 million in the previous session.

The Standard and Poor's 500-stock index fell 7.20 to 950.74, the NYSE composite index fell 3.39 to 497.96, and the American Stock Exchange composite index fell 3.10 to 655.54.

The Nasdaq composite index fell just 1.70 to 1,547.06, and the Russell 2000 index of smaller companies slipped 0.18 to 421.75.