Blue-Chip, Energy Stocks Pace Markefs Solid Gain
NEW YORK, Feb. 20ÛÓPaced by selected blue-chip issues, the stock market registered a solid gain today in lackluster trading that reflected investor uncertainty about developments in Vietnam and Iran.</br></br>The Dow Jones industrial average, which lost 2.08 points Friday, ground out a 7.54-point gain to 834.55. The closely watched average gained 4.68 points overall last week.</br></br>The New York Stock Exchange index rose 0.37 point to 55.74, and the price of a share added 21 cents. Advances topped declines by 789 to 593 among the 1,835 issues traded.</br></br>The market was bolstered by selected buying of energy and blue-chip issues. Also, some traders replaced borrowed shares sold earlier at higher prices.</br></br>Big Board volume totaled 22.01 million shares compared with 21.11 million traded Friday. Composite volume of NYSE issues listed on all U.S. exchanges and over the counter at 4 p.m. totaled 23.01 million shares compared with 22.80 million Friday.