STOCKS shook off some early profit-taking and pushed further into record territory yesterday, extending a post-election rally as interest fell towards an eight-month low in bond trading.

Broader measures also turned higher after a weak start, with the Standard and Poor's 500 list and the New York Stock Exchange composite index closing at record highs for the third straight session.

Advancing issues outnumbered decliners by a four-to-three margin on the New York Stock Exchange, with 1,429 up, 1,074 down and 789 unchanged. NYSE volume totalled 500.74 million shares as of 9 p.m. against 509.04 million previously.

The Standard and Poor's 500-stock index rose 3.05 to 727.64, and the NYSE's composite index rose 1.36 to 384.91. The Nasdaq composite index rose 8.65 to 1,254.14, and the American Stock Exchange's market value index rose 1.38 to 579.25.