The major averages ended lower as the US dollar surged on Thursday. Volume, a critical component of institutional demand, was higher on both major exchanges which marked the latest distribution day for the popular indexes. Decliners trumped advancers by about a 4-to-1 ratio on the NYSE and by about a 3-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq exchange. In terms of new leadership, it was encouraging to see new 52-week highs outnumber new 52-week lows on the NYSE and Nasdaq exchange but the number of actual leaders breaking out of sound bases remains very light.