U. S. Markets – March 31-April 6

U. S. equity markets rallied during the Mar. 31-Apr. 6 reporting period, with the Dow-Jones Industrial Average up 454 points, or 6%, to 7,976, the S&P 500 index adding 48 points, or 6.1%, to 835, and the Nasdaq climbing 105 points, or 7%, 1,607.

Investors took a shine to stocks after a lower-than-expected loss of 663,000 U. S. jobs in March. Another positive was an advance in China’s Purchasing Managers’ Index in March. The World Bank is projecting that China’s economy will rebound this year, growing by 6.5%.

Precious metal prices declined on lower safe-haven buying and plans by the International Monetary Fund to sell 403 tonnes of gold. The Amex Gold Bugs index retreated 25 points, or 7.8%, to 295, and the Philadelphia Gold and Silver index lost 11 points, or 7.9%, to 123.

Copper, aluminum and nickel prices were up, with copper at a five-month high, but Dow-Jones projected a surplus of 118,000 tonnes copper and 454,000 tonnes zinc this year.

The updraft in base metal prices helped lift some diversified miners, with giants BHP Billiton, Vale and Anglo American all registering gains. BHP Billiton added US$4.47 to US$47.53 after selling bonds for 2.25 billion euro, and Anglo American rose US$2.17 to US$9.91 after selling US$2 billion in bonds.

Alcoa gained US$1.22 to US$7.91 on higher aluminum prices ahead of its first-quarter earnings report, which analysts projected would show losses. Alumina Inc. also caught the updraft in the metal price, rising US$1.09 to US$4.48.

Despite lower silver and gold prices, Coeur d’Alene Mines managed to add US15¢ to US$1.04 after commissioning its Palmarejo silver mine in Mexico.

The coal sector advanced, with Peabody Energy rising US$2.63 to US$27.67 after Reuters reported that Huaneng Power International, China’s largest electricity provider, has retreated from its bid to cut contract coal prices.

Uranium oxide prices dropped US50¢ to US$42 per lb., but Denison Mines added US23¢ to US99¢ after reporting a second zone of high-grade uranium mineralization on its Wheeler River project in Saskatchewan.

U. S. most active issues
	VOLUME	WEEK
	(000s)	HIGH	LOW	CLOSE	CHANGE
Alcoa* AA	271518	8.49	6.96	7.91	+ 1.22
Gemini Expl* GXPI	207390	0.00	1.0E8	0.00	0.00
Vale* RIO	163282	15.50	13.10	14.92	+ 1.87
Freeport McMo*FCX	104819	43.75	36.52	41.75	+ 3.22
Barrick Gold* ABX	65339	34.04	28.65	28.75	-3.53
CoeurdAlene*CDE	64752	1.20	0.90	1.04	+0.15
Goldcorp* GG	56672	34.83	29.17	30.37	-3.12
Gold Fields* GFI	48167	12.28	10.12	10.50	-0.54
Newmont Mng* NEM	44895	47.45	41.06	42.80	-2.50
PotashCSask*POT	43811	86.75	77.93	83.48	+ 1.69

U. S. greatest percentage change
		VOLUME	WEEK
		(000s)	HIGH	LOW	CLOSE	CHANGE
NWT Uranium*	NWURF	153	0.12	0.07	0.11	+ 83.3
Bullion Monar*	BULM	308	0.35	0.18	0.33	+ 65.0
AmMex Gold*	AMXG	23	0.03	0.02	0.03	+ 50.0
Aspire Intl*	APIT	85	0.07	0.04	0.07	+ 40.0
Caledonia Mng*	CALVF	3812	0.09	0.04	0.07	+ 40.0
Alumina Inc*	AWC	1910	4.58	3.48	4.48	+ 32.1
Denison Mines*	DNN	563	0.99	0.67	0.99	+ 30.2
Silver Dragon*	SDRG	1078	0.10	0.06	0.09	+ 28.5
Anglo Americn*	AAUK	14580	10.46	8.09	9.91	+ 28.0
Teck B*	TCK	34436	7.14	5.19	6.87	+ 26.2
Colombia Gldf*	CGDF	91	0.04	0.02	0.03	-25.0
Quaterra Res*	QMM	159	0.57	0.30	0.42	-23.6
Patriot Gold*	PGOL	217	0.25	0.15	0.19	-20.8
Cornerstone C*	CTNXF	109	0.05	0.02	0.04	-20.0
Industrl Mnls*	IDSM	256	0.05	0.04	0.04	-20.0
Firstgold*	FGOC	657	0.20	0.14	0.16	-20.0
Strata O&G*	SOIGF	285	0.17	0.14	0.14	-17.6
Starfield Res*	SRFDF	11	0.13	0.10	0.10	-16.6
Yellowcake Mg*	YCKM	21	0.06	0.05	0.05	-16.6
Canarc Res*	CRCUF	17	0.05	0.05	0.05	-16.6

U. S. greatest value change
WEEK
	VOLUME	CLOSE	CHANGE
BHP Billi-BHP* BHP	28052284	47.53	+ 4.47
OM Group* OMG	2936782	23.57	+ 4.15
BHP Billi-BBL* BBL	6892722	41.85	+ 4.06
Cliffs Nat Rs* CLF	32718535	19.85	+ 3.34
Freeport McMo* FCX	104818938	41.75	+ 3.22
AlumCpChina* ACH	1083700	17.64	+ 3.03
Agrium* AGU	2597500	38.28	+ 2.63
Peabody Enrgy* BTU	37748346	27.67	+ 2.63
Intrepid Pots* IPI	1084600	20.35	+ 2.53
Soc Quim&M Ch*SQM	4628893	28.88	+ 2.31
Agnico-Eagle* AEM	21996654	50.24	-6.23
AngloGold Ash* AU	16472085	30.99	-5.40
Randgold Res* GOLD	8294317	46.69	-5.25
Royal Gold* RGLD	6311273	40.52	-3.96
Barrick Gold* ABX	65338613	28.75	-3.53
ASA (Bermuda)* ASA	264106	49.23	-3.15
Goldcorp* GG	56671991	30.37	-3.12
Seabridge Gld* SA	1602280	20.00	-2.58
Newmont Mng* NEM	44895279	42.80	-2.50
Kinross Gold* KGC	40642999	15.49	-2.28