The Markets

The Dow Jones industrial average closed up 2.17 points, reaching a new high of 5,541.62, a fifth straight record for Wall Street's best-known indicator. The Dow slid to minus 26 on computer driven selling around noon, but maintained its pattern of rallying into the close, which has prevailed all week. Trading volume was heavy at 476.64 million shares. The NYSE composite index rose 0.29 to 349.44, the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index rose 0.30 to 656.37, and the Nasdaq composite rose 1.43 to 1,094.60. All three indexes broke Thursday's records. It was the sixth straight record for the Nasdaq composite and the fifth consecutive high for the other two indicators. The AMEX market value index, however, fell 0.65 to 564.01, failing to top Thursday's all-time high of 564.66. The London Gold market closed at $405.25, down $2.80.