SQL Server 2000 VBScript Type Mismatch Error - Help Please

Hi,
I am retrieving Stock price from SQL Server table and assigning to a variable. When I try to perform any numeric related operation it is giving me type mismatch error. These are the lines of code I have

stkPrice = 0
QRYstr = "EXEC sp_DS_selectBySymbolIDandDate " & "'" & SymbolID & "','" & ProcDate & "'"
QRYrset.Open QRYstr,dbConn,0,1
If Not QRYrset.EOF Then
stkPrice = QRYrset("DS_CLOSE")
End If
QRYrset.Close

This is the exact simplified version of the code. All variables are declared properly. This DS_CLOSE column is defines as Numeric(6,2) in SQL Server 2000. This QRYrset has one record after execution and this DS_CLOSE has value of 60.62 and stlPrice has same value of 60.62.

Error comes when I try to do any Arithmatic operation on field stkPrice.
For example If stkPrice > 0 Then -------------- This line fails
If stkPrice > "0" Then --------- This line works.
I couldn't use stkPrice on any Division operation etc .. I am getting type mismatch error.

My question is?
1) What is wrong in the code?
2) Do I have to define the field as Money/SmallMoney in the SQL Server if I am going to perform Arithmatic operations using values in the field by retrieving through recordsets?
Please give me a solution..

Thanks,
Vijay

I guess this will work:
stkPrice = cdbl(QRYrset("DS_CLOSE"))

I hate typeless programming languages...