Stockhouse @ the Bell: Stock markets hit two-month highs

Today on Stockhouse

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Boris Sobolev is debunking the gold bears main argument.

Investing resolutions for 2009 from Michael Cintolo.

Rare elements found in tailings of commodities market, says Thom Calandra in today’s ThomWatch.

Buzz on the Boards took a look at the Western Canadian Coal Corp. (TSX: WTN, Stock Forum) and the Homeland Energy (TSX: T.HEG, Stock Forum) Bullboards.

Top Bullboards post:“Better get your shares while they are cheap as we are currently experiencing a broad based rally. Across the board you can see all the juniors taking off and GOZ is no exception. The large cap gold stocks are taking a breather while the price of gold consolidates before the next push upwards. This is where the juniors play a little catch up with many investors switching funds into these oversold plays. Happens every time.” – From dudediligenton the Gold-Ore Resources (TSX: V.GOZ, Stock Forum) Bullboard.

Top Bullboard:The top three bullboards by number of posts Tuesday were Oilexco (TSX: T.OIL, Stock Forum), Western Canadian Coal Corp. (TSX: T.WTN, Stock Forum) and Barker Minerals (TSX: V.BML, Stock Forum).

Top blog:Stockhouse Community Content Editor helenb posted an update on gold on the Market Reporter’s Notebook blog Tuesday.

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

Word on Wall Street

"Early signs of healing in housing are a key sign that the pressure on the economy and markets may begin to abate," Jeffrey Kleintop, chief market strategist at LPL Financial told MarketWatch.

After-Hours News

Alcoa Inc. (NYSE: AA)
After Tuesday's close, the aluminum giant said it is cutting 13% of its workforce, closing plants, and further curbing aluminum output to conserve cash to prepare for what could be a lengthy recession. The company also said it will sell four businesses and is taking other steps that will result in a charge to fourth-quarter earnings of between $900 million and $950 million.

Northern Superior Resources (TSX: V.SUP)
The junior explorer, after Tuesday's closing bell, reported the discovery of a new gold showing and several gold-bearing ductile shear zones at the head of the gold grain-in-till dispersal apron in the Big Dam area of its 50%-owned Ti-pa-haa-kaa-ning project in northwestern Ontario. The new gold showing, discovered from work completed during the summer drill program, consisted of several separate quartz-veins hosted by granodorite that returned 3.34 g/t gold and 8.9 g/t gold, both over 0.34 metres.

Today In The Markets

Financials, commodities push TSX higher for 6th session; N.Y. rises despite data

DJIA	9,015.10	+62.21
NASDAQ	1,652.38	+24.35
S&P500	934.70	+7.25
S&P/TSX	9,472.09	+186.58
S&P/TSX Venture	913.11	+38.62

TORONTO, NEW YORK (CP) - The strong start to 2009 trading continued Tuesday as financials and commodity stocks led the way to a positive close for a sixth consecutive session.

Toronto's S&P/TSX composite index finished the day up 186.58 points or two per cent to 9,472.09. All sectors were higher save for the consumer and telecom groups. The TSX Venture Exchange climbed 38.62 points to 913.11.

In New York, the Nasdaq composite index rose 24.35 points to 1,652.38 and the S&P 500 index climbed 7.25 points to 934.7 after the documents released today provided insights into the Fed's historic decision to ratchet down its rate from one per cent to near zero at its Dec. 15-16 meeting. New York's Dow Jones industrial average was ahead 62.21 points to 9,015.1.

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