The Washington Post Wednesday, December 11, 1985 D3  
NKW YORK. Dec. 10ÛÓStock prices edged higher in active trading today as the Dow Jones industrial average made another unsuccessful run to crack the 1,500 level and optimism continued over lower interest rates and inflation.</br></br>The Dow Jones average of 30 industrial stocks rose 2.18 points to close at 1,499.20. The close topped the record 1,497.02 reached on Monday, setting a new high for the 33rd time this year.</br></br>over the 1,500 mark it had flirted with for the second straight trading session. The blue-chip index rode a roller coaster throughout the day, rising over the 1,500 level in opening trading before retreating. It then staged a series of narrow advances and declines straddling the 1,500 mark and rising as high as 1,514 before ending only slightly higher at the close.</br></br>As on Monday, the market was spurred by expectations of lower inflation stemming from dropping oil prices and by the bond market rally, which pushed interest rates lower in response to progress by</br></br>Monte Gordon, a vice president and director of research for Dreyfus Corp., said 1,500 on the Dow remained a psychological barrier because the stock market had ÛÏused a lot of money to get thereÛ and many investors might view the strength of the recent rally with trepidation.