U.S. MARKETS -April 13-19

A huge cloud of volcanic ash from Iceland that paralyzed air traffic and grounded millions of passengers, sucked some of the air out of U.S. equity markets during the April 13-19 reporting period.

The Dow Jones industrial average advanced just 72.63 points or 0.66% to finish the period at 11,092.05, while the S&P 500 index remained virtually unchanged at 1,197.52, up just 0.22 of a point or 0.02%. The Nasdaq showed more signs of life, rising 14.12 points or 0.6% to 2,480.11.

The airline industry suffered heavy financial losses but mining stocks didn’t generate much enthusiasm either. Nine of the top 10 most actively traded stocks were all in negative territory (and the ninth, a penny stock, remained unchanged). Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold suffered the greatest loss, tumbling US$3.45 per share to US$80.80. Barrick Gold fell US$1.62 per share, while Goldcorp lost US$1.20 per share to close at US$28.84. The price of gold slipped US$15.90 per oz. during the April 13-19 reporting period to close in New York at US$1,135.20 per oz. The Philadelphia Gold & Silver index shrank 5.24 points or 3% to finish at 168.47.

The worst mining disaster in the U.S. or Canada in more than two decades that left 29 miners dead at Massey Energy’s Upper Big Branch underground coal mine in Montcoal, W. Va., continues to drive down the company’s share price. Massey Energy shares lost US$1.62 apiece to close at US$44.41.

On the positive side of the ledger, worries about palladium supply and rising prices for the precious metal propelled Stillwater Mining to US$16.45 per share, a gain of US$1.12. Palladium prices have recently reached well above US$500 per oz., a two-year high, and on April 13, Bloomberg quoted Neville Nicholau, the chief executive of Anglo Platinum, warning that “palladium may be in deficit for most of the next decade as Russia depletes inventories and uses for the metal increase.” Outside of Russia and South Africa, Stillwater Mining is the largest primary producer of platinum group metals, the company claims. North American Palladium’s stock also shot up, rising 14.3% or US65¢ per share to close at US$5.18.

U.S. most active issues
	VOLUME	WEEK
	(000s) HIGH	LOW	CLOSE	CHANGE
Alcoa* AA	255273 14.50	13.49	13.72	-0.85
Freeport McMo*FCX	54019 86.10	78.70	80.80	-3.45
Hecla Mining* HL	52258 5.92	5.44	5.56	-0.39
Massey Energy* MEE	50149 46.43	41.25	44.41	-1.62
Barrick Gold* ABX	46114 41.36	38.14	39.14	-1.62
Arch Coal* ACI	37856 26.97	25.23	26.07	-0.05
Consol Energy* CNX	37171 46.43	40.97	42.71	-3.55
Potash C Sask* POT	35269 113.57	104.25	106.75	-7.36
Goldspring* GSPG	34793 0.01	0.01	0.01	0.00
Goldcorp* GG	32754 40.60	38.13	38.84	-1.20

U.S. greatest percentage change
		VOLUME		WEEK
		(000s)	HIGH	LOW	CLOSE	CHANGE
World Vent*	WVNTF	497	0.09	0.02	0.08	+300.0
Habanero Res*	HBNRF	59	0.10	0.08	0.10	+ 25.0
Linux Gold*	LNXGF	109	0.06	0.05	0.05	+ 25.0
North Am Pall*	PAL	19743	5.28	4.40	5.18	+ 14.3
Grandview Gld*	GVGDF	160	0.09	0.07	0.08	+ 14.2
Shoshone Silv*	SHSH	54	0.17	0.15	0.17	+ 13.3
Crystallex In*	KRY	3404	0.45	0.33	0.44	+ 12.8
Oromin Expl*	OLEPF	231	0.85	0.75	0.84	+ 12.0
Strata O&G*	SOIGF	316	0.43	0.36	0.40	+ 11.1
Cream Mnrls*	CRMXF	52	0.11	0.10	0.10	+ 11.1
Affinity Gold*	AFYG	1666	0.21	0.11	0.13	-38.1
America West*	AWSR	140	0.12	0.09	0.09	-25.0
Elray Res*	ELRA	477	0.17	0.12	0.12	-25.0
El Capitan Pr*	ECPN	645	0.40	0.30	0.31	-22.5
Metalline Mng*	MMG	231	1.50	1.12	1.19	-18.4
Madison Minls*	MMRSF	28	0.13	0.10	0.11	-15.3
SinoCoking Cl*	SCOK	363	26.62	21.79	22.22	-14.4
Augusta Res*	AZC	204	2.87	2.43	2.47	-14.2
Almaden Mnls*	AAU	777	1.24	1.01	1.02	-13.5
Silver Dragon*	SDRG	418	0.36	0.28	0.31	-11.4

26976394

U.S. greatest value change
WEEK
		VOLUME	CLOSE	CHANGE
Stillwater Mg*	SWC	14649196	16.45	+ 1.12
OM Group*	OMG	1221158	36.73	+ 0.68
North Am Pall*	PAL	19742865	5.18	+ 0.65
Natural Rs Pt*	NRP	411900	25.47	+ 0.55
Mountain Prov*	MDM	118231	2.35	+ 0.23
Westmoreland*	WLB	89967	12.83	+ 0.22
Paramount Gld*	PZG	5544726	1.60	+ 0.14
Lihir Gold*	LIHR	1331108	36.67	+ 0.14
PlatinumGpM*	PLG	106900	2.40	+ 0.11
Oromin Expl*	OLEPF	230644	0.84	+ 0.09
Rio Tinto*	RTP	2942118	235.05	-7.53
Potash C Sask*	POT	35269275	106.75	-7.36
Agrium*	AGU	2872200	62.39	-5.96
Cliffs Nat Rs*	CLF	68.71	-5.27
SinoCoking Cl*	SCOK	362702	22.22	-3.74
Royal Gold*	RGLD	3582005	47.71	-3.62
Mosaic*	MOS	30360126	53.19	-3.56
Consol Energy*	CNX	37171450	42.71	-3.55
Teck B*	TCK	20485751	41.75	-3.50
Freeport McMo*	FCX	54019406	80.80	-3.45