Stockhouse @ the Bell: Stocks up despite jobs data

Today on Stockhouse

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Ticker Trax’s Thom Calandra reveals what 4% means for natural resource investors.

While Marc Davis of BNWnews.ca explains how Latin America is heating up gold M&A action.

Top Bullboards post: “If we use Capital Gold as a basis for a PTQ buyout or merger it values PTQ at $1.60 per share on 200 million PTQ shares outstanding. PTQ merger value substantially increases, if it mergers with another 150,000 oz producer to create a 300,000 Oz producer; then PTQ could be worth over $4 per share. As most 300K 0z producers are valued over $2 billion. I say Fifer has the brains to sell the PTQ gold mine, with spinouts of PDI and the exploration lands. Those New York bankers are now positioned as independent advisors to the board. PTQ is worth $2 per share based on its production profile.” From 1BestPicks on the Petaquilla Minerals (TSX: T.PTQ, Stock Forum) board.

Top Bullboard: Copper Fox Metals (TSX: V.CUU, Stock Forum) received the second-most reads.

Top blog: dzurbo1 provides an analysis of a gold junior the blogger believes is worth three times more than its market valuation in the Metal Augmentor's Weekly Mining News Review blog.

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

Word on Wall Street

"It's just a matter of when and how much," Christian Hviid, chief market strategist at Genworth Financial Asset Management, said of the Fed's likely plans to buy bonds, in an interview with Associated Press. "The motivation is to keep (interest) rates low."

Today In The Markets

TSX little changed as more U.S. jobs worries surface, metals prices strengthen

DJIA	10,967.65	+22.93
NASDAQ	2,380.66	-19.17
S&P500	1,159.97	-0.78
S&P/TSX	12,501.72	+3.72
S&P/TSX Venture	1,774.06	+6.03

TORONTO-NEW YORK (The Canadian Press) - The Toronto stock market closed little changed after a disappointing U.S. jobs report renewed concerns about the health of the American economy.

Mining stocks moved higher amid strong metals prices as the S&P/TSX composite index rose 3.72 points to 12,501.72.

The flat showing followed a report from Automatic Data Processing that U.S. private sector employment slipped in September for the first time in eight months.

Meanwhile, the Canadian dollar gained 0.59 of a cent to 98.94 cents US, a five-month high, as fears of a currency war sent the U.S. dollar lower.

The price of gold gained $7.40 to close at US$1,347.70 an ounce, while crude oil gained 41 cents to US$83.23 a barrel.

On Wall Street, the Dow Jones was up 22.93 points at 10,967.65, while the Nasdaq lost 19.17 points to 2,380.66.

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

After-Hours News

Immucor, Inc. (NASDAQ: BLUD, Stock Forum)
Immucor, Inc., a provider of automated instrument-reagent systems to the blood transfusion industry, reported financial results for its fiscal 2011 first quarter ended August 31, 2010. Revenue for the first quarter was $83.6 million, up 1% from $83.1 million in the same period last year. Net income of $21.4 million or 30 cents a share, was virtually unchanged from $21.3 million or 30 cents.

Vast Exploration Inc. (TSX: V.VST, Stock Forum)
Vast Exploration Inc. has agreed to complete a private placement financing, on a non-brokered basis, for gross proceeds of up to $15,000,000. Pursuant to the offering, the company has agreed to sell up to 25 million units at $0.60 per unit. Proceeds of the financing will be used to fund oil and gas exploration on the Qara Dagh Block in the Kurdistan region of Iraq.