By Allen Wan
Oct. 10 (Bloomberg) -- A late rally in U.S. stocks propelled the Dow Jones Industrial Average to a record as crude oil dropped to an eight-month low.
Concern that third-quarter earnings may fail to meet
forecasts limited the gain. Alcoa Inc., the world's largest
aluminum producer, reported profit after the close of trading
that fell short of analysts' estimates.
``Given that we've seen a slowing in the economy, investors want to know whether management will be more cautious on their outlooks,'' said Kurt Brunner, who helps manage $1.5 billion at Swarthmore Group in Philadelphia. ``We may see some sideways, choppy trading ahead.''
Energy stocks led the advance as natural gas climbed to a six-week high in New York, outweighing oil's drop below $59 a barrel. Exxon Mobil Corp., the world's largest oil producer, rose even though Goldman, Sachs & Co. downgraded the stock.
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