WALL Street stocks turned higher in quiet trading today, with the Dow Jones industrial average absorbing a steep sell off in Philip Morris shares on news of a damages award against another cigarette maker.
The blue chip index rose 23.67 to 5704.98. But without Philip Morris it would have been up nearly 50 points.
The potentially monumental verdict against Brown and Williamson Tobacco in a smoker liability case was the leading factor for much of the session.
NYSE volume totalled 312.15 million shares, against 325.16 million in the previous session.
The NYSE's composite index rose 1.69 to 355.13, and the Standard and Poor's 500 stock index rose 3.67 to 665.77.
The Nasdaq composite index fell 0.99 to 1136.28 and the American Stock Exchange's market value index rose 1.72 to 552.52.
