BLUE-chip stocks ended in the plus column and the Nasdaq index hit another record high as news that April housing starts were the strongest in more than two years buoyed the stock market.

In the broader market, declining issues led advances 1288 to 1040 on moderate trading of 389 million shares on the New York Stock Exchange.

The Nasdaq composite closed up 5.75 points at a new high of 1239.31, surpassing Tuesday's record of 1234.49. Blue-chip stocks sidestepped a weak bond market as investors snapped up select big name issues.

In the bond market, the benchmark 30-year Treasury bond fell three-quarters of a point, raising its yield to 6.91 per cent.

The NYSE Composite index of all listed common stocks fell 0.23 to 356.41. The average share was down 2 cents.