Stockhouse @ the Bell: Stocks shrug off gloomy economic data

Today on Stockhouse

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Hong Kong stocks are about to skyrocket, says Dr. Steve Sjuggerud of DailyWealth.

What George Soros thinks about the recent stock market run, from Andrew Mickey.

Kohl's (KSS) stoked with put buying, notes Jud Pyle.

Schaeffer’s Research explains that Caterpillar stock could see more downside.

Lorimer Wilson discusses to buy, or not to buy, a gold miner's warrants.

In today’s ThomWatch by Thom Calandra: Drilling down on Timberline.

For more articles on gold and silver, please visit the Stockhouse gold & silver feature supplement: https://www.stockhousefeatures.com/gold-and-silver/

Buzz on the Boards took a look at the Zenn Motor Company (TSX: V.ZNN, Stock Forum) and the Chariot Resources (TSX: T.CHD, Stock Forum) Bullboards.

Top Bullboards post: “I think $900 was more of a psychological number than anything else. Technicals require a break of at least $910 - $915. We'll have to wait and see. Depending how they play the Bank Stress numbers, we may see one more visit to $890 again. Might be why the Miners aren't joining Bullion on the way up [sic].” – From SDragon on the Horizons BetaPro S&P TSX Global Gold Bull Plus ETF (TSX: T.HGU, Stock Forum) Bullboard.

Top Bullboard: Mooncor Oil and Gas Corp. (TSX: V.MOO, Stock Forum) was today’s most posted Bullboard.

Top blog: Risktaker77 provided some thoughts on Fortuna Silver Mineson the Risky Picks blog Thursday.

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

"We had a little bit of positive tailwind coming into this session, but it's just not holding together," Roger Volz, director of equities at BGC Financial in New York told MarketWatch. "There's not enough participation [by retail investors] to get that last run to the upside."

Today In The Markets

North American markets finish near highs of the day as pessimism is set aside

DJIA	7,957.06	+70.49
NASDAQ	1,652.21	+6.09
S&P500	851.92	+8.37
S&P/TSX	9,409.50	+130.35
S&P/TSX Venture	987.94	+8.82

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TORONTO, NEW YORK (CP) - North American markets all finished near their highs of the day on Thursday as investors fended off another wave of bleak economic data on U.S. home sales and employment.

Toronto's S&P/TSX composite index rode out a relatively turbulent trading session and closed up 130.35 points to 9,409.50, while the Canadian dollar gained 1.06 to 81.71 cents US. The TSX Venture Exchange gained 8.82 points to 987.94.

After spending much of the day sliding in and out of negative territory, the Dow Jones industrial average ended ahead 70.49 points to 7,957.06. The Nasdaq composite index jumped 6.09 points to 1,652.21, while the S&P 500 index rose 8.37 to 851.92.

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

After-Hours News

Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT)
After Thursday’s close, the software giant reported third-quarter net income of $2.98 billion, or 33 cents a share, compared with net income of $4.39 billion, or 47 cents a share, for the same period last year. Revenue slipped 6% to $13.65 billion. Analysts expected earnings of 39 cents a share on revenue of $14.1 billion.

Majescor Resources (TSX: V.MJX)
The junior explorer, after Thursday’s closing bell, said it has signed an agreement to acquire a 10% interest in SIMACT Alliance Copper Gold Inc., as well an option to acquire the remaining 90% interest. SIMACT, through its 66.4%-owned Haitian affiliate mining company, Societe Miniere du Nord-Est S.A., controls a property in Haiti with both gold and copper potential.