The Markets

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 24.75 to 5,628.03. As an SEC investigation comes to a close, the technology-stock Nasdaq composite index fell 24.56 to 1,183.06 to end at its first close below 1,200 in more than a month. The index has lost more than five percent of its value since June 5. The NYSE's composite index fell 1.34 to 355.58; the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index fell 3.10 to 662.06; and the American Stock Exchange's market value index fell 1.54 to 588.99. Declining issues outnumbered advancers by a margin of almost 7-to-6 on the New York Stock Exchange, with a moderate volume of 363.82 million shares as of 4 p.m. And in London, gold finished at $384.75, off $0.25.