U. S. MARKETS APRIL 8-14

Those clinging to an intangible optimism about the state of the U. S. economy let go a little during the April 8-14 trading period, which started off with some pessimistic news from the U. S. Federal Open Market Committee. Some officials are warning of a “prolonged and severe economic downturn.”

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 310.37 points, or 2.5%, over the period to 12,302 and the NASDAQ dropped 89.01 points, or 3.8%, to 2,275.92.

The Amex Gold Bugs index slid 1.2% to 446.03 points and the Philadelphia Gold and Silver index was 1.4% lower at 182.18.

The most actively traded stocks stateside lost ground. Vale, with 93.6 million shares traded, fell US$1.10 to close at US$35.41; Alcoa, with 68.2 million shares, was one of the top losers, dropping US$3.51 to US$33.93; and Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold shed US$1.19 to US$105.39 on 45.7 million shares.

A class-action lawsuit was filed against Freeport at the end of the trading period over the cleanup of environmental hazards left by a past zinc miner in Blackwell, Okla.

The percentage gain list was dominated by penny stocks like Uranium Star, up 40% to US14; Puda Coal, rising 39% to US50 per share; and Sao Luis Mining, climbing nearly 38% to US11 apiece.

China Shen Zhou Mining & Resources fell nearly 28% to US$4.51 per share after it released fourth-quarter and 2007 results.Net revenues for the fourth quarter fell to US$2.1 million from US$7.8 million in 2006 due to a newly adopted schedule in accounting the depreciation and amortization of the company’s mining properties.

Forecasts calling for the continuing rise of potash and phosphate to surpass US$1,000 and US$1,100 per ton, respectively, made producers of the crop nutrients the biggest gainers over the period. New highs were reached by Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan, up US$8.72 to US$181.90, and Mosaic Co., up US$8.57 to US$126.40.

Yanzhou Coal lost the most value over the period, falling US$3.87 to US$73.71 per share.

Lihir Gold fell US$3.71 to US$29.50 per share. The company has agreed to buy fellow Aussie miner Equigold for US$913 million, giving it more mines in Africa and Australia.

U. S. most active issues
	VOLUME	WEEK
	(000s) HIGH	LOW	CLOSE	CHANGE
Vale* RIO	93561 37.73	34.93	35.41	-1.10
Alcoa* AA	68246 37.63	33.76	33.93	-3.51
Freeport McMo*FCX	45706 110.81	104.10	105.39	-1.19
CoeurdAlene*CDE	44034 3.89	3.56	3.64	-0.29
PotashCSask* POT	36718184.42	171.18	181.90	+ 8.72
Barrick Gold* ABX	34052 44.79	42.06	42.97	-1.08
Mosaic* MOS	31025 127.78	116.51	126.40	+ 8.57
Arch Coal* ACI	28880 54.24	47.61	52.97	+ 4.75
Gold Fields* GFI	28036 14.81	13.62	14.54	+ 0.68
Goldcorp* GG	26266 41.07	38.95	40.04	-0.48

U. S. greatest percentage change
		VOLUME	WEEK
		(000s)	HIGH	LOW	CLOSE	CHANGE
Uranium Star*	URST	498	0.14	0.10	0.14	+ 40.0
Puda Coal*	PUDC	6328	0.73	0.069	0.50	+ 38.8
Sao Luis Mng*	SAOL	353	0.12	0.081	0.11	+ 37.5
Klondike Star*	KDSM	286	0.68	0.42	0.65	+ 35.4
Golden Phoen*	GPXM	2551	0.22	0.162	0.21	+ 27.2
Tombstone Exp*	TMBXF	35	0.26	0.22	0.26	+ 18.1
Silverado*	SLGLF	11347	0.057	0.044	0.054	+ 17.3
World Vent*	WVNTF	46	0.15	0.13	0.15	+ 15.3
El Capitan Pr*	ECPN	594	0.19	0.16	0.18	+ 12.5
Claude Res*	CGR	1007	1.03	0.882	1.02	+ 12.0
China Shen Zh*	SHZ	50	6.35	4.50	4.51	-27.8
Silver Dragon*	SDRG	661	0.37	0.26	0.27	-25.0
Raven Gold*	RVNG	929	0.46	0.24	0.33	-25.0
Pac Gold*	PCFG	2526	0.032	0.023	0.025	-21.8
Wealth Minls*	WMLLF	32	0.687	0.644	0.644	-21.3
Cusac Gold Mn*	CUSIF	38	0.106	0.08	0.08	-20.0
US Mine Maker*	USMM	119	0.15	0.13	0.13	-18.7
North Am Pall*	PAL	5125	6.60	5.31	5.31	-18.3
Gemini Expl*	GXPI	1287	0.059	0.04	0.05	-15.2
Kimber Res*	KBX	733	1.62	1.38	1.38	-14.8

U. S. greatest value change
WEEK
	VOLUME	CLOSE	CHANGE
Potash C Sask* POT	36718270	181.90	+ 8.72
Mosaic* MOS	31024776	126.40	+ 8.57
Agrium* AGU	4578900	76.59	+ 6.91
Cleveland-Cli* CLF	7605362	147.91	+ 6.49
Peabody Enrgy* BTU	26035401	62.05	+ 5.06
Foundatn Coal* FCL	5523190	59.66	+ 4.94
Arch Coal* ACI	28880267	52.97	+ 4.75
CONSOL Energy* CNX	13045407	79.27	+ 4.71
Rio Tinto* RTP	1109851	460.20	+ 3.90
BHP Billi-BBL* BBL	4610106	68.24	+ 2.21
Yanzhou Coal* YZC	647491	73.71	-3.87
Lihir Gold* LIHR	605105	29.50	-3.71
Alcoa* AA	68246313	33.93	-3.51
Buenaventura* BVN	2466841	68.58	-3.19
OM Group* OMG	2746194	54.07	-2.58
China Shen Zh* SHZ	50300	4.51	-1.74
Silver Std Re* SSRI	3664507	29.52	-1.72
Alumina Inc* AWC	467030	20.44	-1.56
Southern Copp* PCU	7838936	114.42	-1.53
ASA (Bermuda)* ASA	343635	83.95	-1.50