Financials led the way higher

4:20 pm : On Thursday, the stock market closed the shortened week on a high note. The major indices surged more than 2% in heavy trading, and finished near their best levels of the session. Financials led the way higher, thanks to a pair of upgrades and news that the Fed is expanding its previously announced plan to increase liquidity.

The financial sector (+6.9%) was the driving force behind this session’s strength. It got off to a strong start after Fannie Mae (FNM 34.30, +3.59) and Freddie Mac (FRE 32.58, +2.68) were upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods.

Financials, and the market, got a further boost after the New York Fed announced modifications to its new Term Securities Lending Facility (TSFL). The TSFL auctions will now allow schedule 2 collateral, instead of the schedule 1 collateral previously proposed. Schedule 2 collateral will now include collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs) and AAA rated commercial mortgage-backed securities

In other words, the Fed will be lending banks highly liquid Treasury securities in exchange for less liquid assets. Banks will now be able to use a wider range of collateral than previously announced. The first auction will take place on March 27 with an offering size of $75 billion for a term of 28 days. Up to $200 billion in loans have been authorized. This is a positive development as it temporarily relieves holders of the difficult to trade securities.

The thrifts & mortgages group (+10.3%) was a standout for the third day in a row. The group has spiked 53% from its low on Monday. Investment banks & brokerages was also a leader with a 11.2% gain. Yahoo Finance