Dow slips on see-saw day

US stocks see-sawed in fairly volatile trade yesterday as investors worked to hold on to the previous session's sharp rally, amid congressional hearings on Enron and the telecom sector, and following a weak consumer confidence report.

According to preliminary reports, the Nasdaq composite added 8.18 to 1,344.17. The Standard & Poor's 500 index gained 3.45 to 902.41. But the Dow Jones industrial average lost 31.85 to end the day at 8,680.03.

Gains in biotech and select techs kept the Nasdaq afloat, but declines in DuPont, down $1.90 to $42.05, Coca-Cola, down $1.28 to $48.15, and 3M, down $1.17 to $125.49, pressured the Dow.