NEW YORK -- Stocks pushed higher today after some early profit-taking, giving Wall Street its first three-session winning streak in more than a month. Dow up 79.04
The Dow Jones industrial average overcame an early 63-point deficit and rose 79.04 points to 8,024.39, extending the rally that began Friday to 410 points.
The three-session advance, the first since Aug. 5-7, has put the Dow back above 1998's starting point of 7,908.25, but the index of 30 major companies is still about 1,300 points, or 14 percent, below the July 17 peak at 9,337.97.
Broader stock measures also shook off some mild profit-taking in the unusually quiet session.
The Standard & Poor's 500 rose 7.96 to 1,037.68, and the technology-heavy Nasdaq composite index rose 12.42 to 1,678.11.
Advancing issues outnumbered decliners by a 4-to-3 margin on the New York Stock Exchange, with 1,750 up, 1,304 down and 489 unchanged.
NYSE volume totaled 719.89 million shares vs. 709.74 million yesterday.
The NYSE composite index rose 3.71 to 513.92, and the American Stock Exchange composite index rose 4.98 to 624.28.
The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies rose 0.01 to 357.73.
The 30-year Treasury bond was down 14/32 at 103 21/32, with the yield rising to 5.26 percent.
Market sentiment has improved in recent days amid hopes the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates to counter the drag of economic crises overseas.
Traders also were relieved that Kenneth Starr's report on President Clinton revealed few surprises about matters other than Monica Lewinsky.
