Market Gains In Slow Trade: Slow Trading Pace NYSE Index Advances
NEW YORK, Aug. 19 (AP)ÛÓThe stock market today resumed last weekÛªs recovery upswing as trading continued slow bv 1968 standards.</br></br>Volume was 9.91 million shares compared with 9.94 million Friday. Both figures were far below the 12.4 million-share average for the first seven months this year.	Û÷</br></br>Prices rose from the start and slightly improved on balance throughout the session. Market analysts observed, however,' that there was no great urgency either on the buy or sell side.</br></br>Building materials issues and stocks of equipment suppliers for houses advanced in the wake of news that housing starts had a sharp rise-'in. July. The inflationary atmosphere was heightened by -an increase in beer-bottle prices by Owens-Illinois, the largest U.S. maker of that product. Its stock was up %.</br></br>Wall Streeters credited news of the sharp drop in the U.S. balance of payments deficit and the easing of the discount rate by some banks, as well as technical market factors, for the continued improvement.