Choppy trading persisted into late afternoon, with stocks moving toward their highs as bonds posted further gains.

While short-term securities were the most popular, longer-term notes and bonds also posted gains.

And bonds posted modest gains early in the session on the well-behaved data.

Also, the losses sustained in recent weeks have come after a five-year period in which bonds posted enormous gains.

It had investors moving around cautiously, as bonds posted small losses and offered no support to stocks yesterday.

In the corporate bond market, meanwhile, Texaco's bonds posted the steepest declines of the day.

While bonds have now posted gains in three consecutive sessions, traders and analysts say the market has not shifted from its bearish tone.

"Believe me, the Society is paying high for these services, bond posted in advance; Deety wrote the contract."

The Treasury's new five-year note sale went well, but the long bond posted a modest loss and its yield rose.

The yard wants an extra bond posted.