US stocks resumed their decline today as investors, concerned that slumping retail sales would further slow the economy, abandoned small-cap and technology shares.

Wall Street reversed a three-day slide today as investors returned to the market in search of bargains, shrugging off high-tech profit warnings and an analyst downgrade of Internet stocks.

Investors set aside their concerns about Iraq today, sending stocks solidly higher on expectations of companies’ robust first-quarter earnings reports. All three major indexes regained the ground they lost last week.

Stock prices rose moderately today as investors traded cautiously following last week’s big gains and in advance of earnings reports later this week. Volume was light due to the Yom Kippur holiday.

A US trader posted a bogus press release on the internet that caused the stock of Lucent Technologies to drop last March.