A parade of third-quarter results reported by the utility sector show a common characteristic: Difficulty getting top-line traction as they had to grapple with a slow economy and seasonably cool summer weather.

Energy stocks extend losses from the previous session as rising petroleum inventories continue to weigh on the sector ahead of the latest data on natural gas storage.

Harbinger Capital, a big hedge-fund firm run by Philip Falcone, is selling 20 million shares of power company Calpine.

Geothermal is carbon-free, abundant and might be the answer to the problems facing the world's need for energy.

Calpine swing sto a second-quarter net loss, but the power producer raises the range of its 2009 financial targets on its cost-cutting, hedging strategy and improvements in operations.

(3.08 g/t Au over 14 m and 1.23 g/t over 23.5 m)