Blue-chip stocks barrelled back toward record levels in New York yesterday, but the broad market remained mired in an uncertain outlook for interest rates and company profits.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 116.83 points to 9,171.48, about 40 points from last Wednesday's record of 9,211.84, despite a brief dip into negative territory during the afternoon.

Overall, trading continued at the lethargic pace that took hold Tuesday afternoon, when the Federal Reserve concluded its latest strategy meeting ended with no increase in interest rates.

The Standard and Poor's 500 rose 8.25 to 1,117.77, about 13 points from the record of 1,130.54, set nearly a month ago on April 23rd. The Nasdaq composite fell 14.11 to 1,831.76.

NYSE volume totalled 586.33 million shares, up from Tuesday's lower-than-average tally of 565.37 million.