Stocks ended a quiet, fitful session in New York with narrow losses today as investors, not consoled by new signs of a slowing economy, focused instead on the prospect of higher interest rates.
The Dow Jones industrial average fell 24.68 to 10,299.24. The Nasdaq composite index slipped 0.24 to 3,205.11. The Standard and Poor's 500 fell 3.50 to 1,378.02.
Advancing issues outnumbered decliners by a 10-to-9 margin on the New York Stock Exchange, with 1,503 up, 1,389 down and 481 unchanged.
NYSE volume totalled 719.88 million shares, against 970.48 million in the previous session.
The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies fell 1.41 to 454.76.
Broader stock indicators were mixed.
