Stocks closed solidly higher after the broad based S&P 500 hit a seven month high intraday. Strong results from the Treasury auction bolstered shares despite looming inflation and interest rate fears. Oil rallied lifting oil and gas companies higher on the day but the market pulled back hard near the close but remained in positive territory. The DJIA advanced +31.90 to 8770.92, the Nasdaq added +9.29 to 1862.37 and the S&P 500 held onto +5.74 points to 944.89.

Bank of America ( BAC | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) - Led the DJIA higher climbing 8.68% or $1.04 to $13.02/share after Morgan Stanley raised profit estimates for 2009 and 2010.

Del Monte ( DLM | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) - Crushed analysts earnings estimates sending shares ahead by 9.28% or 0.71 cents to $8.36/share.

Palm ( PALM | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) - Climbed 11.84% or $1.42 to $13.41/share after positive words from Bank of America on the pre handset.

Vulcan Materials ( VMC | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) - The worlds largest supplier of crushed stone fell 2.59% or $1.14 to $42.83 after announcing plans to cut dividend and issue more shares to cut debt.

Oil added $1.35 to $72.68, Gold moved ahead by $6.80 to $961.50 and the VIX index fell 1.23% to 28.11.

According to a recent report, eight out of ten securities traded are exchange-traded funds. Want to learn how to trade them? Click here to pre-order High Probability ETF Trading, the first quantified book of trading strategies to improve your ETF trading.