WALL Street roared ahead yesterday, led by big-company shares, as a jump in US unemployment claims pushed interest rates lower.

At the close on Wall Street the Dow Jones average was up 83.12 at 6,823.86, after stumbling in the late morning.

The jump in jobless claims suggested the economy may not be growing at an inflationary pace, which could further ease pressure on the Federal Reserve to raise short-term interest rates.

Advances outnumbered declines by a 540-3 margin on the New York Stock Exchange, with 1,554 up, 934 down and 844 unchanged.

NYSE volume totalled 520.4 million shares, against 498.39 million in the previous session.

The Standard and Poor's 500-stock list rose 11.67 to 784.17, and the NYSE's composite index rose 5.11 to 411.20.

The Nasdaq composite index advanced 12.34 to 1,367.51, and the American Stock Exchange composite rose 0.99 to 588.66.