Late tech rally boosts Dow

US stocks ended a volatile day in positive territory yesterday with a late-session tech rally, helping markets extend the previous session's SEC certification deadline rally, despite mixed economic data.

According to preliminary reports, the Dow Jones industrial average gained 74.83 to 8,818.14. The Nasdaq composite added 10.82 to 1,345.12. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 10.63 to 930.25.

Stocks had dipped at midday following a weak regional manufacturing report, but a second attempt at a tech rally pushed stocks higher in late-afternoon trade.

Shares of Brocade Communications rose $0.91 to $15.96 after the data storage maker reaffirmed its forecast for improved earnings and revenue in its current quarter.

Dow component and computer maker Hewlett-Packard rose $0.37 to $15.00 after Lehman Bros upgraded the company’s shares to ‘equal-weight’ from ‘under-weight’

The dollar was a little weaker versus the euro and a little higher versus the yen. Light crude oil futures gained 87 cents to $28.38 a barrel, while gold was a little higher.