Wall Street posted a moderate decline today, giving back part of the previous session’s gains as investors once again fretted about interest rates and the economy.

US stocks dropped today, extending investors’ losses for the third straight session and pushing the Dow Jones industrial average below 11,000 for the first time since March 9.

Higher oil prices and news of slowing growth in the service sector pulled stocks lower today despite some optimism over a 25 billion dollar bid for Guidant Corp.

The Nasdaq composite index notched its best advance in nearly five months today as a recovery in the dollar motivated US investors to pick up shares following two weeks of declines.