U.S. MARKETS -April 20-26

As Iceland’s volcanic ash storm settled and stranded airline passengers made their way back home, a financial storm brewing over Wall Street captured the news headlines during the April 20-26 reporting period, with Goldman Sachs officials battling fraud charges involving a debt product tied to subprime mortgages. The reporting period was also notable for positive quarterly results from Caterpillar and Ford Motor Co., which pushed the latter’s shares to a five-year high. Overall, the Dow Jones industrial average emerged on the positive side of the ledger, gaining 87.97 points or 0.79% to finish at 11,205.03, while the S&P 500 index rose 167.44 points or 1.38% to 12,280.97. The Nasdaq advanced 22.64 points or 0.91% to close at 2,522.95.

The big gains in mining came from coal, iron ore and potash stocks. Spot prices for coal started moving up last week, taking the share prices of coal companies with them. Coal giant Peabody Energy topped the charts with a US$4.35 gain to US$49.77 per share. Peabody has been in the news lately with an as of yet unsuccessful bid for Macarthur Coal. Consol Energy, the largest underground coal producer in the U.S., advanced US$2.57 to US$45.28 per share, and Alpha Natural Resources, a leading Central Appalachian coal producer, gained US$2.36 to close at US$52.21.

Stronger iron ore and potash prices lifted iron ore giant Cliffs Natural Resources US$4.29 to US$73 per share and Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan, which added US$2.89 per share to close at US$109.64. Both companies will release quarterly results this week.

On the gold front, the Philadelphia Gold and Silver index climbed 4.48 points or 2.67% to 172.49. In New York the spot price for gold rose US$12.60 per oz. to finish at US$1,153 per oz. Agnico-Eagle Mines posted the largest gain, climbing US$2.03 to US$61.16 per share and Goldcorp gained US$1.79 per share to US$40.63.Junior

US Antimony surged 15.3% to close at 60¢ per share as export prices of antimony from China rose above US$9,000 per tonne FOB on tight supply.

U.S. most active issues
	VOLUME		WEEK
	(000s)	HIGH	LOW	CLOSE	CHANGE
Alcoa* AA	127390	14.29	13.50	14.05	+ 0.33
Freeport McMo*FCX	74133	82.20	76.54	80.40	-0.40
Hecla Mining* HL	47885	6.00	5.52	5.89	+ 0.33
Barrick Gold* ABX	33984	40.84	38.80	40.46	+ 1.32
Goldspring* GSPG	33572	0.01	0.01	0.01	0.00
Massey Energy* MEE	33222	45.35	41.30	43.61	-0.80
Consol Energy* CNX	30945	45.50	42.09	45.28	+ 2.57
Peabody Enrgy* BTU	30169	50.25	44.85	49.77	+ 4.35
Goldcorp* GG	29070	40.90	38.78	40.63	+ 1.79
Teck B* TCK	28592	44.61	40.85	43.05	+ 1.30

U.S. greatest percentage change
		VOLUME		WEEK
		(000s)	HIGH	LOW	CLOSE	CHANGE
Legend Intl H*	LGDI	2418	1.26	0.97	1.20	+ 20.0
Commerce Grp*	CGCO	48	0.07	0.05	0.07	+ 16.6
Fischer-W Gld*	FWGO	271	0.07	0.05	0.07	+ 16.6
US Antimony*	UAMY	240	0.60	0.50	0.60	+ 15.3
New Gold*	NGD	17353	5.96	5.15	5.93	+ 15.3
Paramount Gld*	PZG	4755	1.87	1.60	1.80	+ 12.5
Geovic Mng*	GVCM	707	0.89	0.77	0.82	+ 12.3
Puda Coal*	PUDA	105	11.00	9.62	10.75	+ 11.7
NWT Uranium*	NWURF	483	0.21	0.17	0.21	+ 10.5
PlatinumGpM*	PLG	255	2.88	2.37	2.65	+ 10.4
World Vent*	WVNTF	225	0.06	0.02	0.05	-28.5
Yellowcake Mg*	YCKM	84	0.04	0.03	0.03	-25.0
Alberta Star *	ASXSF	550	0.62	0.45	0.47	-14.5
Grandview Gld*	GVGDF	66	0.09	0.07	0.07	-12.5
Caledonia Mng*	CALVF	345	0.08	0.06	0.07	-12.5
America West*	AWSR	328	0.14	0.09	0.09	-10.0
Pac Booker Mn*	PBM	13	9.90	8.70	8.75	-9.5
Cream Mnrls*	CRMXF	160	0.11	0.09	0.10	-9.0
Patriot Gold*	PGOL	265	0.32	0.24	0.24	-7.6
Contintl Mnls*	KMKCF	305	2.26	2.06	2.09	-7.1

< td>Buenaventura*

U.S. greatest value change
WEEK
		VOLUME	CLOSE	CHANGE
Peabody Enrgy*	BTU	30168990	49.77	+ 4.35
Cliffs Nat Rs*	CLF	26433541	73.00	+ 4.29
Potash C Sask*	POT	25042800	109.64	+ 2.89
Consol Energy*	CNX	30944567	45.28	+ 2.57
Alpha Nat Res*	ANR	15433613	52.21	+ 2.36
ASA (Bermuda)*	ASA	60227	82.15	+ 2.21
Agnico-Eagle*	AEM	8274261	61.16	+ 2.03
Arch Coal*	ACI	27729416	27.96	+ 1.89
Compass Mnls*	CMP	467200	79.17	+ 1.81
Goldcorp*	GG	29070362	40.63	+ 1.79
Mechel*	MTL	6170800	26.32	-1.84
Mosaic*	MOS	24690466	52.19	-1.00
Pac Booker Mn*	PBM	12500	8.75	-0.92
BVN	4899683	30.66	-0.85
Massey Energy*	MEE	33222315	43.61	-0.80
Rio Tinto*	RTP	3212006	234.31	-0.74
Vale*	VALE	22997900	32.32	-0.66
BHP Billi-BBL*	BBL	9884722	66.23	-0.58
Cameco Corp*	CCJ	8443746	25.47	-0.51
Freeport McMo*	FCX	74133370	80.40	-0.40