How Markets Fared in Quarter

A look at how key market measures fared in the first quarter, which ended Tuesday:

* The Dow Jones industrial average rose 2.1%, closing at 3,235.47. The Dow was powered by such heavy-industry stocks as Alcoa and Caterpillar, which jumped as investors bet on an economic recovery. But Disney also provided a major lift for the Dow: Disney stock rose from 114 1/2 to 151 5/8 in the quarter.

* Among broader market indexes, the Standard & Poor’s 500 index lost 3.2% for the quarter. The S&P; is heavily weighted toward major oil stocks, and they dragged the index lower as hopes faded for any meaningful increase in oil or natural gas prices soon.

* The Dow utilities index was the big loser, tumbling 9.1%. That index too was hurt by pessimism over natural-gas prices because major gas stocks are in the index. The utilities index was also clipped as rising interest rates hurt electric-utility stocks.

* The NASDAQ composite index of smaller stocks gained 3% for the quarter, continuing the small-stock rally that wowed investors last year. However, the NASDAQ market’s gains came in the first six weeks of the quarter; since early February, smaller stocks have mostly trended lower as investors have taken profits.

* The yield on 30-year Treasury bonds finished the quarter at 7.95%, up sharply from 7.39% at year’s end. Interest rates rose during the quarter as investors began to fear that the economic recovery would rekindle inflation.