Around the World's Markets: New York

WALL STREET fell as investors took a breather and some profits as they watched corporate earnings for clues to the months ahead. The Dow closed off 63.33 points at 7,938.14. The pause followed two sessions in which The Dow rose 269 points as technological and financial stocks rebounded.

The Nasdaq shed 36.64 points, or 2.37 per cent, to 1,509.44. The day's slides were largely due to profit-taking in major technology shares and a tumble in Dow component Eastman Kodak.