Stocks Scrambled at Close, Dow Up 2.64 After Swings
NEW YORK, Oct. 25-Stock market prices jittered up and down with the changing Middle East situation today, and finished the session thoroughly scrambled. Market averages tumbled ;n the morning after President Nixon ordered CJ.S. armen forces on worldwide alert, and rallied in the afternnm when the U.S.S.R. agreed to keep its own troops out of the war zone.</br></br>Trading was hectic in the midst of the price swingsÛÓ the ticker tape trailed the* floor pace in both directions ÛÓbut quiet in between, as traders waited for ycl another move in a day filled with high-powered diplomacy.</br></br>The morning selloff senu the Dow .Jones industrial average to a loss of more than 10 points in the first hour. Early in the afternoon, when word of the Russian agreement reached Wall Street, the Dow moved to n gain of more than 5 points. The lap.' ran 2 minutes laic in the selling and trailed by the same amount in the rally.</br></br>At the close, the Dow showed a gain of 2.64 points at 974.45), the New York Stock Exchange index gained 0.10 point to 59.44, and Standard and PoorÛªs 500-stock composite was up 0.22 point to 110.50.</br></br>At the same time, though, more stocks lost ground than n>se. There wore 770 losers and 627 winners on I lie day compared with 748 issue- down and 680 ahead on Wednesday. when market averagei were also higher. New 1973 nighs totaled the same as in the previous session. 31. while the number of new lows rose to 16 from H.