NEW YORK--Encouraging business news failed to aid the stock market today prices slipping irregularly lower on profit-taking in a dull session.

Both bull and bear forces were encouraged by the market action, the former contending that the slight sell-off largely reflected tax selling and realizing in a contracting volume of business, while the latter believe, as a result of the backswing from yesterday's recovery, that many traders are not convinced that the recent reaction has run its full course