Stockhouse @ the Bell: Amex, banks boost stocks

Today on Stockhouse

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Investment opportunities in the energy sector: Part II, from The Energy Report.

Andrew Mickey discusses profiting from the 'picks and shovels' of stem cell research.

Chris Vermeulen explores trading gold, silver, crude oil, and the Dow.

In today’s ThomWatch by Thom Calandra: Fixed gold price ‘is limited gov’t vs. unlimited’.

Jud Pyle looks at betting on a range in QCOM.

Buzz on the Boards stopped in to observe conversation on the Central Sun Mining (TSX: T.CSM, Stock Forum) and the Silver Wheaton Corp. (TSX: T.SLW, Stock Forum) Bullboards.

Top Bullboards post:“Treading water it seems. What with last week’s build and prices defying logic and gravity, maybe the market has decided that a new trading range is in order. Cheap storage must be gone and the opportunity to profit off the spread from contango not so easy, production cuts will slow the over abundance as will the availability of tankers to move it which will push shipping rates higher. A lot of traders must have sold a lot of oil at the highs for delivery now and have to be worried that they may not be able to buy for delivery and are sitting on some pretty sweet profits but still need to buy[sic].” – From Nakate on the Horizons BetaPro NYMEX Crude Oil Bear Plus ETF(TSX: T.HOD, Stock Forum) Bullboard.

Top Bullboard: Oilexco (TSX: T.OIL, Stock Forum) ended the day as the most posted Bullboard on Stockhouse.

Top blog:caldernet provided a TFSA update on the $100,000 Goal 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

"There's been some bright spots (in earnings) but those come amidst reduced expectations, so those come with a grain of salt," Bruce Zaro, chief technical strategist at Delta Global Advisors in Boston told Reuters.

Today In The Markets

Bank stocks boost TSX; Amex earnings help take N.Y. markets higher

DJIA	8,174.73	+58.70
NASDAQ	1,504.90	+15.44
S&P500	845.71	+9.14
S&P/TSX	8,759.63	+103.12
S&P/TSX Venture	867.87	+0.71

TORONTO, NEW YORK (CP) - The Toronto stock market closed higher with financials showing strength for a second day as a result of good earnings news from British bank Barclays PLC.

U.S. markets also moved ahead as investors were pleased by some high-profile earnings from Texas Instruments and American Express but disappointed by data showing consumer confidence at a record low.

Toronto's S&P/TSX composite index moved ahead 103.12 points to 8,759.63, as shares of most of Canada's biggest banks rose. The TSX Venture Exchange added 0.71 of a point to 867.87.

New York's Dow Jones industrial average gained 58.7 points to 8,174.73. The Nasdaq composite index gained 15.44 points to 1,504.9 while the S&P 500 index added 9.14 points to 845.71.

Please click here for current U.S. and Canadian market summaries.

After-Hours News

Yahoo Inc. (NASDAQ: YHOO)
After Tuesday's close, the Internet giant said it has swung to net loss of $303 million, or 22 cents a share. Last year, it made $206 million, or 15 cents a share. Net revenue for the period fell 2% to $1.38 billion. Excluding certain items, Yahoo would have earned 17 cents a share. Analysts expected earnings of 13 cents a share on $1.37 billion in net revenue.

Sonomax Hearing Healthcare (TSX: V.SHH)
The manufacturer of intra-ear technologies, late Tuesday, announced that it has sold the rights and associated assets for its proof-of-performance software system, for use in testing hearing protection devices, for the sum of US$2 million to 3M.