Markets are looking a little healthier today. At midday, the TSE 300 is up 41 points to 7,514.

Volume is stronger at 71.3 million shares, with buyers holding a more than two to one edge on sellers.

But market breadth is negative, with losers outnumbering winners by a margin of nine to eight.

On a sector basis, there’s some more decisive action, too. Miners are up almost 2%, energy stocks are gaining, as are techs. There’s some weakness in consumer stocks, golds, and merchandisers.

The various former CP components are trading strongly today, most of them are currently up. CP Railway and Fording are leading the action, as traders pick and choose their favourites among the CP offspring.

Leaders today include techs such as Nortel Networks and Celestica. The techs are up generally on the hope that the semiconductors are starting to see some more demand, which market bulls hope may foretell a rebound in the sector generally.

Other gainers include Research in Motion, Bombardier, MDC, Draxis and Anthem Properties.

There’s also plenty of weakness among the techs, too. Names such as Descartes Systems, CAE, Exfo Electro and Ballard Power are all tanking, with stock specific concerns divorcing them from the sector trends. Other losers include Canada 3000, Vasogen, Shawcor and Enervest.

In business news, Japanese gold company, Jipangu, is increasing its interest in Cambior to approximately 27% of the total outstanding voting securities. It is doing this by converting US$3.7 million of its mortgage loan to equity at approximately 57¢ per share, such that Jipangu will be issued an additional 6,491,228 common shares of Cambior. The transaction is expected to close on or before Aug. 28.

In New York, stocks are a little cheerier today, too, although some of the early enthusiasm has dissipated. The Dow Jones industrial average is up 34 points to 10,208. The Nasdaq composite index is holding onto a three point gain at 1,835. The S&P 500 has added four points to 1161.

The CDNX is bucking the trend, down 24 points today to 3,057. Volume is average at 15.2 million shares.

Techs are the weak spot, down more than 2%. Oils are down a bit and miners are flat. Sunshine Capital Corp is the top trader, up 40% to 28¢ on more than 1.5 million shares.