Dow Off 15 Pts.

The stock market turned broadly lower today, hurt by falling bondprices, more bad economic data and lower share prices abroad.

The Dow Jones industrial average closed down 15.40 points at3,398.37.

Volume on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange was 282.27million shares. Decliners outnumbered advancers 16-3.

Bond prices were lower again, pushing up interest rates.

Bonds have been falling in response to continued weakness in thedollar. That could lead the Federal Reserve to raise interest ratesto defend the U.S. currency, analysts have said.

Another option the government has to shore up the dollar is toincrease import prices, analysts said. That could lead toinflationary pressures.

Consequently, gold prices and stocks were higher on Friday, andagain today.

Gold moved today despite news that President Boris Yeltsin hadwon a confidence vote from Russians and fresh Western support for hisreform drive. Spot gold shot up $5.50 to a new six-month high of$352 an ounce.

Gold rose in London to a late bid price of $350.10 a troy ounce,compared with $344.00 bid late Friday.

In Zurich, the metal rose to a late bid of $348.75, comparedwith $344.15 bid late Friday. In Hong Kong, gold rose $7.22 to closeat a bid of $348.24.

Also hurting stocks is concern about the strength of theeconomy.

A real estate trade group had more bad news on that front today,saying sales of previously owned homes fell 2.9 percent in March.That was below the 1 percent drop many private economists hadexpected.

And foreign markets were mostly lower. In Tokyo, the 225-issueNikkei Stock Average fell 80.52 points, or 0.41 percent. In London,the Financial Times-Stock Exchange 100-share index fell 17.8 points,or 0.79 percent.

Ron Doran, director of institutional trading at C.L. King &Associates, said President Clinton's economic policies wereundermining the stock market.

"There is a less confident atmosphere prevailing about wherePresident Clinton is taking the economic situation," he said. "Lowerinterest rates have driven the market to new highs but there are alot of questions as far as confidence and trust are concerned andthat bodes poorly for the stock market."

The dollar fell against the major currencies in European tradingtoday.

In Tokyo, the dollar closed at 110.05 yen, up 0.15 yen fromFriday's close. Later in London, the dollar was quoted at 110.40yen. At midday in New York, the dollar was worth 110.52 yen.