Trading Summary (December 06, 2001)

The Toronto Stock Exchange managed to hold on to most its recent gains on Thursday losing only 6.47 points or 0.08% to 7,613.7. A strong showing in the communications and media subindex was offset by a 3.2% decline in the utilities subindex.Franco Nevada jumped into the top spot among actively traded mining issues. The company ended the day flat at $22.80 on 2.7 million shares. Other gold producers faired better with Placer Dome climbing 55 to $17.30 and Barrick Gold tacking on 8 to $24.36. The Gold & Precious Minerals subindex reflected the gains climbing 46.07 points to 4911.00.Despite announcing more high-grade zinc results in exploration drilling around its Red Dog zinc mine in Alaska, Teck Cominco lost 7 to $11.40. Among the country’s remaining major base metal producers: Inco jumped 35 to $26.35; Falconbridge dropped 50 to $16.00; and Alcan added 26 to $58.90.

Canada’s junior exchange managed to add to recent gains with only mining-related issues giving back ground. The Canadian Venture Exchange ended the day up 19.60 points, or 0.6% to close at 3,122.98. The Mining Index dropped 44.64 points, or 0.6% to close at 8,030.75Atacama Minerals ended the day unchanged at 67 on 303,100 shares. The company recently announced that full iodine operations have been achieved at the Aguas Blancas mine in northern Chile.Shares of Andean American Mining continued to see-saw losing 3 to 44 on a volume of 108,000. By early next year the company envisions a 3,250-tonnes-per-day gold operation at its Santa Rosa property in Peru. Northern Dynasty Minerals close the session unchanged at 50 on 172,000 shares. The Hunter Dickinson led junior recently acquired the pebble copper-gold porphyry property in Alaska from Teck Cominco.Kensington Resources added 2 to end the day at 72 on 235,000 shares. The company holds a stake in the Fort a la Corne diamond project in Saskatchewan where new diamond counts are expected shortly.