Obama’s stimulus plan will only end up making a sick patient even sicker, says Jon Herring. But that won’t stop it happening. Jon says infrastructure firms stand to benefit in the short run. But the real long-term winners will be companies that benefit from rising inflation.

Justice Litle says these two things are clear right now: 1) America’s infrastructure is crumbling, and 2) Washington is ready to spend trillions to rescue the economy. Put them together, and that means big business for construction firms. Justice picks eight of the best companies in the industry, which has a bright future under President Obama.

Unprecendented government action is beginning to thaw credit markets. Commercial paper is being traded again. But this credit crisis is far from over, says William Patalon III. The trickle of finance will only reach top-grade companies. The weak will either go bankrupt or be swallowed up by their healthier rivals.

The blood bath continued during Tuesday trading on the Canadian Markets, as investors ran for the exits in every sector but gold. For the tale of the tape, the TSX Exchange lost 3.92%, while the TSX Gold Index bucked the trend by gaining 1.2% and the TSX Venture Exchange, Canada’s largest junior exploration bourse, dropped 3.50% with the declining issuers swamping the advancers by a 645 to 348 margin on good volume of 167 million shares traded.