YAHOO [BRIEFING.COM]: Despite a large dose of generally upbeat data, stocks only managed to muster modest gains in the first session of the fourth quarter.

Income and spending numbers for August were strong. Specifically, personal income increased 0.5%, which is not only greater than the 0.3% increase that had been widely expected, but also the biggest monthly increase in income this year. Spending increased 0.4%, which is greater than the 0.3% increase that had been widely expected and consistent with the prior month's increase. Core personal consumption expenditures increased 0.1% for the fourth straight month, as expected.

The final September reading on consumer sentiment from the University of Michigan improved to 68.2 from 66.6 to exceed the consensus call for 67.0 that had been made by economists polled by Briefing.com.

Construction spending also proved pleasing. It increased 0.4% in August after a 1.4% drop in the prior month. A 0.5% decrease had been widely anticipated.

However, the September ISM Manufacturing Index brought a bit of disappointment. It slipped to 54.4 from 56.3 month-over-month, but a reading closer to 54.8 had been widely expected among economists polled by Briefing.com.

Stocks slid following the release of the data and spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon struggling to find direction. Some light afternoon buying helped the major averages muster modest gains, though.

Though the broader market was slow to follow, financial stocks and energy stocks made out well. Specifically, financials advanced 1.1% with help from investment banks and brokerages (+1.9%) and diversified financial services (+2.5%), while the energy sector advanced 1.3% with help from oil's 2.2% bounce to a six-week closing high of $81.58 per barrel.

Despite the rise in oil prices, shares of air carriers sent the Amex Airline Index up 1.1% to its best level in almost three years.

Bolstered by higher precious metals prices, the materials sector booked a 1.2% gain. The continuous gold contract traded to a new all-time high of $1320.00 per ounce and the continuous silver contract notched a fresh 30-year high of $22.17 per ounce. Gold prices in the monthly contract ended pit trade 0.6% higher at $1317.80 per ounce while silver settled 1.2% higher at $22.06 per ounce.

The climb by precious metals came amid continued weakness in the dollar, which drove the Dollar Index down 0.8% for its eighth loss in 10 sessions. That streak of weakness has taken the greenback to an eight-month low.

Tech stocks lagged almost all session. The sector fell to a 0.1% loss. It was the only sector to settle lower. Hewlett-Packard (HPQ 40.75, -1.32) was a primary source of weakness as investors reacted negatively new the company's selection of Leo Apotheker, former head of SAP, as its new CEO and President.

Accenture (ACN 44.39, +1.90) was the only widely-held name out with quarterly earnings since the prior session's close. The company's bottom line bested expectations and its outlook also made room for a positive surprise. Analysts at Wells Fargo awarded the stock with an upgrade.

The story today in commodities was the large sell of in grains, which dropped 4.5%. Dec corn shed 6.1% to close at $4.65 per bushel. It closed limit down and extended yesterday's sell off which were mainly due to the inventory build in corn noted in the USDA's quarterly stocks report. Nov soybeans dropped 4.5% to end at $10.57 per bushel.

Nov crude oil finished added an additional 2.2% to finish at $81.58 per barrel. It rallied for over 7.5% on the week, marking its best weekly advance since mid-Feb. Global economic data helped crude oil extend its recent rally to a seventh consecutive session and to its best levels in seven weeks. Nov natural gas finished lower by 2% to $3.80 per MMBtu, marking its second straight day of losses.

The continuous gold contract traded to a new all-time high, at $1320.00 per ounce, in mid morning trade, while the continuous silver contract notched a fresh 30 yr high at $22.17 per ounce. Dec gold ended higher by 0.6% to $1317.80 per ounce while Dec silver finished up 1.2% to $22.06 per ounce.

Advancing Sectors: Energy (+1.3%), Materials (+1.2%), Financials (+1.1%), Telecom (+0.9%), Utilities (+0.7%), Consumer Staples (+0.3%), Consumer Discretionary (+0.1%), Industrials (+0.1%), Health Care (+0.1%)
Declining Sectors: Tech (-0.1%)DJ30 +41.63 NASDAQ +2.13 NQ100 -0.1% R2K +0.5% SP400 +0.2% SP500 +5.04 NASDAQ Adv/Vol/Dec 1495/1.93 bln/1104 NYSE Adv/Vol/Dec 2032/1.08 bln/923