YAHOO [BRIEFING.COM]: Stocks finished in weak fashion as solid, broad-based gains faded into the close and the major indices settled near session lows. However, the stock market still managed to eke out a slight gain, which puts it in positive territory for the year.

The mood among participants this session had generally been upbeat since the opening bell. The positive tone helped stocks extend the prior session's advance, such that the major indices hit new one-month highs.

Natural resource plays were leaders in the market's move. As such, energy stocks and materials stocks booked the best gains. Both sectors settled with a 0.8% gain, as measured by their Exchange Traded Funds (XLE 57.13, +0.47) and (XLB 32.25, +0.27).

Strong gains among commodities underpinned the strength in the energy and materials sectors. Specifically, oil prices advanced 1.2% to close at $79.68 per barrel after they had been as high as $80.95 per barrel, which marked a one-month high. A 3.6% spike to $17.06 per ounce gave silver one of its best single-session percentage moves in months. Meanwhile, gold prices settled pit trade with a 1.7% gain at $1137.40 per ounce after easing back from one-month highs around $1138 per ounce.

Financials had been a primary source of support for the broader market, but they lost their momentum as the session progressed. The sector's primary ETF, (XLF 14.77, +0.05), had been up roughly 1% at its session high, but it finished with a modest 0.3% gain.

Tech stocks also tumbled. That left the tech select SPDR (XLK 21.94, -0.03) to finish in negative territory.

A trip by tech stocks and financial stocks left the broader market without two of its primary leadership sources. That made it difficult for the broader market to sustain gains when it had already been without any legitimate catalysts.

Despite the absence of positive drivers, the S&P 500 managed to hold on to a modest gain, which put it back in positive territory for the year. Though its year-to-date gain is fractional, the benchmark index had struggled to accomplish that feat during the prior session.

Participation remains on the light side, however; barely 1 billion shares traded hands on the NYSE this session.

Advancing Sectors: Materials (+1.0%), Energy (+0.8%), Utilities (+0.5%), Health Care (+0.4%), Consumer Staples (+0.4%), Financials (+0.3%), Industrials (+0.3%)
Declining Sectors: Telecom (-0.1%), Tech (-0.2%), Consumer Discretionary (-0.3%)DJ30 +2.19 NASDAQ +7.22 NQ100 +0.3% R2K +0.9% SP400 +0.8% SP500 +2.60 NASDAQ Adv/Vol/Dec 1769/2.78 bln/892 NYSE Adv/Vol/Dec 2127/1.07 bln/895