NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks gained on Tuesday as record oil prices lifted energy shares and stronger-than-expected quarterly results at several U.S. regional banks boosted shares of financial companies.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Several regional banks reported better-than-expected quarterly results on Tuesday, and expressed confidence they could withstand soaring credit losses as the nation's housing market and economy slump.

Minutes of meetings show that six of the 12 regional banks opposed the decision last month. Half of the 12 regional Federal Reserve Banks opposed the central bank's decision last month to lower by a quarter of a point the rate paid by banks on loans from the Fed.

NEW YORK - Stocks finished sharply lower Wednesday as a jittery Wall Street sold off on a report showing a large drop in pending home sales and read anecdotal data from the Federal Reserve's regional banks as offering little more assurance that an interest-rate cut is likely.