YAHOO [BRIEFING.COM]: Although Apple was a strong performer following news of its dividend and share repurchase plan, Financials were the primary drivers behind the broad market's move to a new multi-year high. Momentum slowed in late afternoon action, however.

Early trade was largely lackluster amid a lack of actionable headlines and general weakness among Europe's major bourses. Market participants were also slow to take encouragement from news that heavyweight Apple (AAPL 601.10, +15.53) plans to open its coffers, currently stuffed with close to $100 billion in cash, to help fund a quarterly dividend of $2.65 per share starting in the fourth quarter of its fiscal 2012 and a $10 billion share repurchase program commencing in fiscal 2013. A positive response to the news helped the stock settle above $600, extending the torrid run that has made it the largest company by market cap -- shares are now up nearly 50% year to date.

Financials finished the day with a 0.6% gain, which is less than half of what it had achieved at its session high. The sector's run higher helped lift the S&P 500 above 1412 for the first time since mid-2008. However, when Financials faltered in afternoon trade the broad market followed suit to finish shy of its session high.

Bank stocks were the primary source of the swing. They initially climbed higher without much regard for the weakness displayed by bank stocks listed on Europe's major bourses this morning. Their upward push took the KBW Bank Index to a gain greater than 1.5%, which came as a strong follow-up to its near 7% weekly gain, but then profit taking undercut the move. The KBW Bank Index ended the day with a more moderate gain of about 0.5%.

The Dow barely finished the day with a gain. Home Depot (HD 48.83, -0.22) hampered it during the day. The stock's weakness came alongside a disappointing monthly Housing Market Index reading from the NAHB.

Utilities suffered the only loss among the major sectors. They finished the day at session lows with a 0.5% loss. The defensive-oriented sector is now down nearly 4% year to date. No other sector is in the red in 2012.

The dollar endured some more selling, extending its decline from the near two-month high that it set last week. By session's end it was quoted with a loss of about 0.4% against a basket of major foreign currencies. The dollar's downturn helped support the commodity complex, such that the CRB Index booked a 0.5% gain.

Treasuries encountered more selling. The action lifted the yield on the benchmark 10-year Note closer to 2.40% before easing back as the stock market drifted lower in afternoon trade.

A slide by the dollar today helped stir support for precious metals, which opened pit trade near the neutral line.  By session’s end, though, gold gained $11.40, or 0.7%, to settle at $1667.50 per ounce. Silver scored a gain of $0.33, or 1.0%, to settle at $32.94 per ounce. Session highs were set at $1670.10 and $33.09, respectively.

Crude oil overcame pressure in electronic trade to sport a solid gain for most of pit trade. The energy component had set a session high of $108.76 per barrel before it settled at $108.56 per barrel, which makes for a gain of $1.00, or 0.9%. Natural gas prices opened in the red, but rallied roughly 4% from session lows to reach a session high of $2.39 per MMBtu about an hour after pit trading began.  Although the move proved unsustainable, natural gas still closed pit trade with a gain of $0.02, or 1.0%, at $2.35 per MMBtu.

Advancing Sectors: Tech +0.8%, Energy +0.6%, Financials +0.6%, Materials +0.5%, Consumer Discretionary +0.5%, Industrials +0.1%, Telecom +0.1%, Consumer Staples +0.1%
Unchanged: Health Care
Declining Sectors: Utilities -0.5%DJ30 +6.51 NASDAQ +23.06 NQ100 +0.8% R2K +0.9% SP400 +0.2% SP500 +5.58 NASDAQ Adv/Vol/Dec 1659/1.54 bln/901 NYSE Adv/Vol/Dec 1884/721 mln/1106