WALL Street stocks closed mixed yesterday, with the Dow Jones industrials helped higher, along with bonds, after swinging widely.

The Dow industrial average ended up 50.94 points to close at 5,536.56, putting it in the positive column for the first time this week.

The blue chip average rose at the open, dropped down to minus 49 points, then moved as much as 30 points higher before paring and then reestablishing those gains. Traders said computerised trading was responsible for some of the sharp moves.

One trader said "The Dow swings like a commodity with no rhyme or reason, no connection to facts and figures, or to announcements."