NEW YORK — Wall Street finished an uninspired session mixed yesterday as a new record high in oil prices was partly offset by a better-than-expected reading of the nation's industrial activity and strong sales at Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

The stock market remained resilient in the face of record intraday and closing prices for oil. A barrel of light crude reached an intraday high of $62.30 before closing at $61.57, up $1, on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The death of Saudi King Fahd was cited as creating uncertainty in the oil market.

The surge in oil prices was mitigated by upbeat July sales at Wal-Mart as well as a bullish reading of the Institute for Supply Management's manufacturing index — showing that both the consumer and industrial sectors have adapted well to high energy costs. However, the strong growth in the economy raised concerns about the Federal Reserve and its policy of gradually raising the nation's benchmark rate.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 17.76, or 0.17 percent, to 10,623.15.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index was up 1.17, or 0.09 percent, at 1,235.35. The Nasdaq index gained 10.55, or 0.48 percent, to close at 2,195.38.

A continued rise in bond yields drew investors away from stocks. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 4.32 percent, its highest showing since April, from 4.29 percent late Friday. The dollar edged lower against most major currencies, while gold prices rose.

Advancing issues outnumbered decliners by about 9 to 7 on the New York Stock Exchange, where consolidated volume came to 1.77 billion shares, compared with 1.87 billion on Friday.