YAHOO [BRIEFING.COM]: Despite a strong start on the back of a better-than-expected batch of earnings, stocks finished with varied gains. Trading volume was exceptionally high, but not very telling of the broader market's mood.

Oracle (ORCL 24.34, +1.46) and Research In Motion (RIMM 69.99, +6.53) both announced last evening earnings results that exceeded analysts' expectations for the latest quarter. The positive surprises helped bring buyers back into the action after they had stepped to the sidelines in the previous session's sell-off.

Accenture (ACN 41.37, -0.29) and Nike (NKE 64.42, +1.17) helped keep a positive vibe with better-than-expected earnings of their own, but it was financials that assisted tech stocks in providing leadership to the broader market.

Both tech stocks and financial stocks had been beaten down during the previous session, but rebounded to respective gains of 1.6% and 1.4% this session. Tech helped the Nasdaq outperform its counterparts, but the two sectors teamed up to provide leadership to the broader market --the two sectors were the best two performing sectors and combine to make up nearly 35% of the total weight in the S&P 500.

This session's action wasn't all positive, though. Stocks came under pressure midsession as the dollar made its way to a fresh three-month high against competing currencies. The greenback's gain caused the stock market to temporarily retreat into negative territory.

Stocks recovered to finish at afternoon highs as the dollar's advance proved unsustainable. The greenback finished flat for the session.

Despite the modest gain by the broader market, it wasn't enough to keep stocks from a weekly loss of 0.6%, which makes for the stock market's worst weekly performance in seven weeks. Meanwhile, stocks have shed 0.7% in the past month.

Trading volume on the NYSE hit its highest level of the year by eclipsing 3 billion shares, but that was largely the result of this year's last quadruple witching options expiration. The S&P 500 is also due to be rebalanced. Ordinarily high trading volume suggests heavy participation and a sense of conviction among participants, but since the surge in volume this session was fueled by traders concerned with squaring their positions the general mood of the market isn't so easily discerned.

Advancing Sectors: Tech (+1.6%), Financials (+1.4%), Consumer Discretionary (+0.5%), Utilities (+0.5%), Energy (+0.3%), Health Care (+0.3%), Telecom (+0.2%), Materials (+0.1%)
Declining Sectors: Consumer Staples (-0.3%), Industrials (-0.2%)DJ30 +20.63 NASDAQ +31.64 NQ100 +1.6% R2K +1.1% SP400 +0.5% SP500 +6.39 NASDAQ Adv/Vol/Dec 1663/2.86 bln/1094 NYSE Adv/Vol/Dec 1774/3.16 bln/1242