THE REAL MOST ACTIVE NYSE Stocks Climb, Pack Volume Punch.(MAKING MONEY)

Byline: JONAH KERI

NYSE stocks gained ground on higher volume Wednesday, marking a session of accumulation. The Dow sprang ahead 0.7%, the S&P 500 1%. Small caps were among the day's biggest losers, though, as the S&P 600 tumbled 2.1%.

Medical stocks stuffed the day's Real Most Active list. Sierra Health Services jumped 1.31 to 22.75 on triple its normal trade. The managed health care provider busted out of a four-week consolidation. It's featured in today's NYSE Stocks In The News.

Fellow HMO Anthem recouped most of Tuesday's losses, advancing 1.97 to 67.88 on 2 1/2 times its usual turnover. The stock is working through a cup-shaped base, now six weeks long.

Zimmer Holdings bounced 0.82 to 37.23 on nearly twice its 50-day average volume. The orthopedic products maker, which spun off from Bristol-Myers Squibb last year, hit a new high. Year-over-year sales have grown 12% to 17% in the last four quarters. Profit has climbed 33% and 36% in the last two quarters.

Charles River Laboratories vaulted 2 points to 38.10 on 3 1/2 times typical trade. The firm, which offers drug discovery services and research models to pharmaceutical and biotech firms, reported second-quarter profit of 36 cents a share, a 50% increase vs. the same ...