Stockhouse @ the Bell: Stocks sink on retail sales, commodities

Today on Stockhouse

Your opinion matters. Submit an article to Stockhouse today at submissions@stockhouse.com. Submission guidelines can be found here.

Community writer jackp27, owner of the Stockhouse blog A New York Nickel, weighs in with parts one and two of his “Cash Kings” series.

Guy Bennett of Q1 Publishing tells readers how to turn trash into cash.

Joe Duarte wants to know if Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS, Stock Forum) is washed up.

Can Freeport McMoRan regain its luster? Schaeffer’s Research has some thoughts on the subject.

Buzz on the Boards took a moment to recognize the strong research being done on the Acadian Mining Bullboard.

Top Bullboards post:“The real winner is McCain, who will in time probably get down on his knees and thank his lucky stars that he didn't inherit a horrendous mess consisting of 2 major battlezones (Afghanistan & Iraq), a plunging economy, rising unemployment, a polarized/dispirited country and antagonists in the form of Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, Syria, Pakistan and who-knows-who-else.” From mj2007 on the Minera Andes (TSX: T.MAI, Stock Forum) Bullboard.

Top Bullboard: Goldsource Mines (TSX: V.GXS, Stock Forum) takes the day.

Top blog:Outside the Market managed to log over 10 comments today – a good haul by Stockhouse blog standards.

For news about small stocks that made big moves in Thursday trading, please read the Stockhouse Canadian Small and Micro-cap Stock Report.

Word on Wall Street

"The next step for the markets is to determine the depth and duration of the economic downturn. Data need not get better to spark a rally, they need only stop getting worse," said Tony Crescenzi, bond market strategist at Miller Tabak & Co., in an interview with MarketWatch.

After-Hours News

Walt Disney Co (NYSE: DIS)
After Thursday's close, the entertainment giant reported fourth-quarter earnings of $760 million, or 40 cents a share, compared with a profit of $877 million, or 44 cents a share, during the same period last year. Disney said that excluding the charge and other special items, it would have earned 43 cents a share. Revenue rose 6% to $9.45 billion on improved results at the company's cable networks and theme parks. Analysts expected a profit of 49 cents a share on sales of $9.31 billion. Its shares fell as much as 8% in after-hours trading.

RuggedCom (TSX: T.RCM)
The provider of communications networking solutions designed for mission-critical applications in harsh environments, after Thursday's closing bell, announced that its second-quarter revenue surged 54% to $14.4 million, while net income for the period soared 204% to $3.2 million, or 27 cents a share.

Today In The Markets

North American markets slump on economic worry, Dow falls five per cent

DJIA	8,695.79	-443.48
NASDAQ	1,608.70	-72.94
S&P500	904.88	-47.89
S&P/TSX	9,555.41	-331.79
S&P/TSX Venture	920.13	-31.29

TORONTO, NEW YORK (CP) - North American stock markets were splashed with red once again on Thursday as caution over the economy showed up in corporate earnings and outlook estimates for next year.

Toronto's S&P/TSX composite index fell more than three per cent, or 331.79 points, to close at 9,555.41 on broad weakness highlighted by further declines in major commodities. The TSX Venture Exchange lost 31.29 points to 920.13.

On Wall Street, the Dow Jones industrial average slipped 443.48 points to 8,695.79. It was the first time the Dow had fallen below 9,000 points in more than a week. The Nasdaq composite index dropped 72.94 points to 1,608.70 while the S&P 500 moved down 47.89 to 904.88.

Please click here for the complete U.S. market summaries.