Toronto Stock Exchange Jan. 30-Feb. 5

The TSX Composite Index rose 220.73 points to set a new all-time high of 13,166.69 for the Jan. 30-Feb. 5 trading period. The rise came as commodity prices gained momentum on signs that the U.S. economy is expanding — which would feed demand for Canadian resource exports. The index’s previous record, set on Dec. 14, was 13,021 points.

Energy shares led the charge as crude oil prices hovered around US$60 a barrel and natural gas made gains on the back of cold winds blowing into the eastern U.S.

The price of gold continued its steady climb; it set a 6-month high, reaching US$660 per oz., before finishing the period at US$649.40. The Global Gold Index was up nearly 3% at 324.10 points.

The Capped Metals & Mining Index didn’t fare as well. Copper, tin and zinc all weakened, while gains made in the prices of aluminum and nickel weren’t enough to save the diversified miners from an 8.5-point drop to 622.81.

Campbell Resources enjoyed the market’s attention, despite having released no news. The Montreal-based junior with gold and copper projects in Quebec was up 32% to 17 on 46 million shares traded.

Tiomin Resources was the period’s next most popular miner, but didn’t enjoy the attention as much. The Toronto-based company, which holds the Kwale mineral sands project in Kenya, announced that ATW Venture would not bail it out of its financial troubles by buying 50% of its Kenyan assets as it originally announced on Jan. 26. Tiomin was the period’s biggest loser, down 36% to 9 on 36 million shares.

Moving its Tanjianshan mine in China into commercial production as gold prices continued to strengthen helped push Eldorado Gold up 51 to $6.95 on roughly 29 million shares traded.

Also rising on positive news was Minires du Nord (MDN). The Montreal-based gold miner was up nearly 32% to $1.00 after announcing drill results from its Tulawaka gold project in Tanzania. MDN holds a 30% stake in Tulawaka while Barrick Gold holds the remainder. Barrick was up $1.53 to $35.99 for the period.

Fellow gold companies Gold Reserve and NewWest Gold also rose with the price of the yellow metal. Gold Reserve was up 41% at $5.77 despite continued political worries in Venezuela, where its Brisas gold property is located.

New West Gold rose nearly 40% to 49 after announcing that a drill program had extended near-surface mineralization by 700 ft. at its Silica Ridge deposit in Nevada.

Other gold miners making significant gains were Meridian Gold, up $2.10 to $34.71, and Agnico-Eagle Mines, up $1.42 to $47.50.

The decline in copper — it finished the period at US$2.39 per lb. — brought Aur Resources down 78 to $21.67; First Quantum Minerals down 72 to $60.02; and Quadra Mining, down 68 to $8.05.

TSX most active issues

		VOLUME(000s)	HIGH	LOW	CLOSE	CHANGE
Campbell Res	CCH	45717	0.165	0.115	0.165	+0.04
Tiomin Res	TIO	36467	0.145	0.085	0.09	-0.05
Eldorado Gold	ELD	28609	7.05	6.36	6.95	+0.51
Kinross Gold	K	22933	16.00	15.00	15.52	+0.12
Bema Gold	BGO	22283	7.00	6.63	6.82	+0.04
Chariot Res	CHD	21655	0.80	0.70	0.79	+0.10
Goldcorp	G	18326	33.42	31.79	32.38	+0.53
Nuinsco Res	NWI	15894	1.54	1.25	1.47	+0.01
Breakwater Res	BWR	13397	1.81	1.65	1.66	-0.05
LionOre Mng In	LIM	12998	13.94	13.05	13.20	-0.46

TSX greatest percentage change

		VOLUME(000s)	HIGH	LOW	CLOSE	CHANGE
Peregrine D wt	PGD.WT	80	0.35	0.10	0.27	+200.0
HMZ Metals wt	HMZ.WT	595	0.015	0.005	0.015	+50.0
Gold Reserve	GRZ	588	6.10	4.00	5.77	+41.4
NEMI Nor En&Mg	NNE.A	1523	0.51	0.33	0.485	+40.5
NewWest Gold	NWG	33	2.45	1.75	2.45	+39.2
Campbell Res	CCH	45717	0.165	0.115	0.165	+32.0
Minieres duNrd	MDN	4301	1.07	0.75	1.00	+31.5
Franc-Or Res	FOR	558	0.34	0.26	0.335	+31.3
Apollo Gold	APG	3643	0.73	0.55	0.72	+26.3
Twin Mining	TWG	12544	0.12	0.085	0.10	+25.0
Tiomin Res	TIO	36467	0.145	0.085	0.09	-35.7
SouthernEra wt	SDM.WT	111	0.08	0.06	0.06	-25.0
Golden China R	GCX	430	1.13	0.91	0.92	-19.3
Glencairn G wt	GGG.WT	1554	0.18	0.15	0.15	-16.6
Ontex Res	ONT	322	0.23	0.18	0.20	-16.6
Richview Res	RVR	2324	0.225	0.17	0.185	-15.9
Golden Str wtA	GSC.WT.A	722	0.055	0.03	0.03	-14.2
Wallbridge Mng	WM	1063	0.59	0.49	0.50	-13.7
Canadn Zinc	CZN	1688	0.82	0.68	0.69	-13.7
Thundermin Res	THR	442	0.115	0.095	0.10	-13.0

TSX greatest value change

		VOLUME	CLOSE	CHANGE
Silvercorp Mtl	SVM	1015097	18.93	+2.18
Meridian Gold	MNG	1893431	34.71	+2.10
Aber Diamond	ABZ	870875	45.95	+1.91
CIC Energy	ELC	419241	15.60	+1.75
Gold Reserve	GRZ	588395	5.77	+1.69
Barrick Gold	ABX	10984901	35.99	+1.63
Pan Am Silver	PAA	871677	34.35	+1.53
Pan Am Silv wt	PAA.WT	32151	22.63	+1.42
Agnico-Eagle	AEM	3781869	47.50	+1.42
Alcan	AL	8988505	59.60	+1.40
Potash Cp Sask	POT	1878681	177.46	-5.79
Lundin Mng	LUN	3251443	12.49	-1.195
FNX Mining	FNX	3991759	16.98	-1.12
Labdr I-Ore Ro	LIF.UN	255251	27.24	-1.07
Forsys Metals	FSY	2955538	6.70	-0.80
Aur Res	AUR	3521080	21.67	-0.78
First Quantum	FM	2828631	60.02	-0.72
Quadra Mng	QUA	1154375	8.05	-0.68
Skye Res	SKR	636231	12.20	-0.60
Tanz Roy Exp	TNX	1290277	6.04	-0.56