U.S. Markets August 7-13

Misery linked to the ongoing trouble in the debt market continued on United States equity markets during the reporting period Aug. 7-13. The losses were more muted, thanks to two rally days early in the period, but the Standard & Poor’s 500 index still wound up 14.75 points or 1% lower, at 1,452.92 points and the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.7%.

That led to mixed results among the miners, with advancing and declining stocks almost in balance. The uncertainty was positive for many of the gold stocks, as bullion prices moved higher on three of the five trading days: the Philadelphia Gold and Silver index rose 1.42 points to 143.05, and the Amex Gold Bugs index added 4.93 points to finish at 340.74. Bullion prices, which ran through a US$12.90 range through the period, settled at US$668.75 per oz., down US$2.75.

Newmont Mining rose US47 to US$41.13, while AngloGold Ashanti was off US$1.47 at US$37.65 and Gold Fields was down US18 at US$15.08, but mid-tiers Minas Buenaventura, up US60 at US$38.24, and Randgold Resources, up US93 at US$24.06, were both strong.

White-goods producer Stillwater Mining fell US58 to US$8.34, while silver producer Coeur d’Alene Mines added US4 to finish at US$3.86.

The coal sector was stronger, with Arch Coal up US$1.94 to US$31.03, Massey Energy rising US$1.25 to US$19.32, and Consol Energy adding US99 to finish at US$39.73.

The base metal companies suffered from worries over economic health, and particularly over the housing industry. BHP Billiton was down US$1.78 at US$59.74, Rio Tinto plunged US$18.58 to US$256.85, and Companhia Vale do Rio Doce slipped US95 to US$45.60. Still, strength in the copper metal markets, which rose out of a looming strike at Grupo Mexico’s Cananea mine, allowed copper-sensitives to rise: Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold was up US$2.33 at US$87.80 and Southern Copper was US$3.48 better at US$101.25.

U.S. greatest percentage change

		VOLUME(000s)	HIGH	LOW	CLOSE		CHANGE
Diamond Discv*	DMDD	3328	0.012	0.005	0.009	+	50.0
Brookmount Ex*	BMXI	43	0.095	0.07	0.095	+	35.7
Sparrowtech R*	SPMC	442	0.07	0.05	0.063	+	26.0
McKenzie Bay*	MKBY	824	0.09	0.075	0.085	+	21.4
Anooraq Res*	ANO	2911	2.968	2.47	2.92	+	19.1
Seabridge Gld*	SA	2547	33.22	27.00	32.80	+	16.7
Puda Coal*	PUDC	930	2.07	1.73	2.04	+	16.2
Apolo Gold*	APLL	728	0.055	0.047	0.054	+	14.8
Global Gold*	GBGD	22	0.80	0.60	0.80	+	14.2
Tanz Roy Exp*	TRE	2064	5.65	4.87	5.65	+	11.8
WorldStar Egy*	WSTR	13	1.36	0.75	1.30	–	42.2
Fischer-W Gld*	FWGO	78	0.056	0.046	0.046	–	23.3
Cream Mnrls*	CRMXF	34	0.545	0.448	0.448	–	18.5
Orezone Res*	OZN	636	1.82	1.50	1.51	–	17.4
Wealth Minls*	WMLLF	97	3.00	2.38	2.44	–	16.1
Minco Gold*	MGH	543	1.14	0.87	0.89	–	15.2
Halo Res*	HLOSF	11	0.545	0.513	0.54	–	14.5
Coral Gold*	CGREF	13	2.85	2.46	2.49	–	13.8
Homeland Pr M*	HPMEF	17	0.20	0.20	0.20	–	13.0
Sao Luis Mng*	SAOL	229	0.49	0.32	0.35	–	12.5

U.S. greatest value change

		VOLUME	CLOSE		CHANGE
Seabridge Gld*	SA	2547300	32.80	+	4.70
Peabody Enrgy*	BTU	47963316	43.86	+	3.51
Southern Copp*	PCU	15167002	101.25	+	3.48
Agnico-Eagle*	AEM	14283400	44.78	+	3.32
Potash C Sask*	POT	21039163	87.57	+	3.16
Agrium*	AGU	2532200	42.65	+	2.72
Freeport McMo*	FCX	51884021	87.80	+	2.33
Arch Coal*	ACI	34579249	31.03	+	1.94
Mosaic*	MOS	14858212	40.04	+	1.29
Yanzhou Coal*	YZC	549200	78.59	+	1.27
Rio Tinto*	RTP	2679300	256.85	–	18.58
BHP Billi-BBL*	BBL	1197200	54.34	–	1.82
BHP Billi-BHP*	BHP	24453742	59.74	–	1.78
Soc Quim&M Ch*	SQM	217900	157.32	–	1.78
ASA (Bermuda)*	ASA	334000	60.636	–	1.714
AngloGold Ash*	AU	9482600	37.65	–	1.47
Alumina Inc*	AWC	955500	21.64	–	1.17
Harmony Gold*	HMY	23762305	9.95	–	1.07
Arizona Star*	AZS	47900	10.00	–	1.00
Alcan*	AL	38848600	95.15	–	1.00

U.S. most active issues

		VOLUME(000s)	HIGH	LOW	CLOSE		CHANGE
Alcoa*	AA	106196	37.61	33.50	35.54	–	0.13
CVRD*	RIO	75569	49.39	43.69	45.60	–	0.95
Freeport McMo*	FCX	51884	91.37	83.02	87.80	+	2.33
Coeur d Alene*	CDE	50615	4.11	3.67	3.86	+	0.04
Newmont Mng*	NEM	49133	42.74	40.16	41.13	+	0.47
Peabody Enrgy*	BTU	47963	47.12	39.81	43.86	+	3.51
Golden Star*	GSS	46623	3.78	3.20	3.55	–	0.02
Goldcorp*	GG	46351	25.99	24.13	24.77	+	0.30
Alcan*	AL	38849	96.70	93.03	95.15	–	1.00
Arch Coal*	ACI	34579	34.76	28.66	31.03	+	1.94