By Stewart Lewis

(June 6 – 17:30 ET) – Investors jumped into the markets today looking for the profits that they declined yesterday, following last week’s record-breaking run-up. Most stocks closed lower as a result.

The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 79.73 points to 10735.57. Banks and retailers took the biggest hits. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. dropped 1 1/16 to 58 1/4. Home Depot Inc. fell 2 to 50 3/8.

The NASDAQ composite index dropped 65.37 points, or 1.71%, to 3756.39.

In Canada, the results were pretty much the same. The Toronto Stock Exchange 300 composite index fell 69.71 to 9609.94. After having a good day yesterday, invetsors turned on Certicom, again. The stock dropped $5 to $77.75.

All the other TSE exchanges finished the day in negative territory.

The only Canadian exchange that fought the dowanward stream was the CDNX. It finished up, though only marginally, by 3.79 points to 3410.59.