U.S. Markets february 21-27

Equity markets south of the border clawed upwards during the reporting period Feb. 21-27, but corrections in the metal markets proved to be too much for the previously buoyant resource sector. While the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index rose 11.08 points to 1,294.12, about 0.9% of value, most of the mining stocks fell back.

The bouncing gold price may have been a cue for profit-taking among the gold producers. Newmont Mining was down US$1.43 at US$54.78, AngloGold Ashanti fell US$1.20 to US$52.92, Harmony Gold Mining slipped US$1.11 to US$14.58, and Gold Fields shed a dime to finish at US$22.48.

The mid-tiers didn’t have the same trouble, with Hecla Mining up US19 to US$4.98, Minas Buenaventura up US$1.15 to US$27, and Lihir Gold US83 better at US$31.38. Despite strength in the white-goods market, Stillwater Mining was off US16 to US$13.60. Stillwater announced a net loss of US$13.9 million on revenues of US$508 million in 2005.

Over on the base metal side, Phelps Dodge fell back US$7.17 to US$137.88 and Southern Peru Copper was off US$2 at US$78.48, as copper prices cooled to US$4,835.50 from US$4,983 per tonne, a US6.7-per-lb. drop. Another copper-sensitive stock, Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold, was down US$1.49 to US$51.46.

The Big Three saw mixed results despite the slump in the metal markets. Rio Tinto fell US$5.44 to US$190.73, but CVRD was up US27 at US$47.51, BHP Billiton added US6 to US$36.36, and Anglo American rose US55 to US$37.61.

One new high among the Nasdaq-listed juniors went to Metalline Mining, which touched US$2.69 on the way to a close of US$2.59, for a gain of US50. The company had no recent news on its Sierra Mojada zinc property in Mexico.

U.S. greatest percentage change

		VOLUME (000s)	HIGH	LOW	CLOSE	CHANGE
Golden Phoen*	GPXM	5661	0.375	0.245	0.36	+ 44.0
Apollo Gold*	AGT	3151	0.60	0.44	0.59	+ 34.0
World Vent*	WVNTF	51	0.25	0.145	0.20	+ 33.3
Canarc Res*	CRCUF	2687	0.763	0.56	0.733	+ 32.0
Shoshone Silv*	SHSH	177	0.26	0.20	0.26	+ 29.3
Douglas Lk Ml*	DLKM	91	3.40	2.60	3.40	+ 28.3
Western Silvr*	WTZ	3817	21.61	15.87	20.30	+ 27.8
Desert Sun Mg*	DEZ	3385	5.34	4.24	5.29	+ 27.1
Commerce Grp*	CGCO	33	0.20	0.14	0.15	+ 25.0
Minefinders*	MFN	440	8.75	6.56	8.09	+ 24.6
Brookmount Ex*	BMXI	1119	0.42	0.27	0.31	– 27.9
Newgold*	NGLD	845	0.235	0.15	0.18	– 20.0
Cream Mnrls*	CRMXF	68	0.385	0.308	0.311	– 15.9
Geocom Res*	GOCM	33	0.29	0.236	0.236	– 15.7
Klondike Star*	KDSM	142	3.44	3.05	3.05	– 10.8
Silverado*	SLGLF	14931	0.18	0.147	0.152	– 10.5
Patriot Gold*	PGOL	157	0.31	0.26	0.28	– 9.6
Pac Rim Minin*	PMU	734	0.80	0.73	0.73	– 7.5
Golden Star*	GSS	3194	3.38	3.03	3.04	– 7.6
North Am Pall*	PAL	925	11.39	10.00	10.15	– 7.3

.S. greatest value change

		VOLUME	CLOSE	CHANGE
Soc Quim&M Ch*	SQM	172500	122.45	+ 5.75
Peabody Enrgy*	BTU	14668900	49.07	+ 5.505
Western Silvr*	WTZ	3816700	20.30	+ 4.42
APEX Silver*	SIL	5709500	22.65	+ 4.37
Potash C Sask*	POT	3106900	96.05	+ 3.87
Minefinders*	MFN	439700	8.09	+ 1.60
Foundatn Coal*	FCL	3265600	40.40	+ 1.43
Meridian Gold*	MDG	4701500	25.16	+ 1.33
Gammon Lk Res*	GRS	1276700	16.10	+ 1.20
Buenaventura*	BVN	2450000	27.00	+ 1.15
Phelps Dodge*	PD	9641400	137.88	– 7.17
Rio Tinto*	RTP	1184500	190.73	– 5.44
Cleveland-Cli*	CLF	2494900	87.45	– 2.52
Inco Ltd*	N	5791800	48.39	– 2.10
Southern Peru*	PCU	3297500	78.48	– 2.00
Arch Coal*	ACI	6057700	73.13	– 1.87
Alcan*	AL	5278200	43.68	– 1.85
Freeport McMo*	FCX	14915000	51.46	– 1.49
Newmont Mng*	NEM	21752800	54.78	– 1.43
Barrick Gold*	ABX	17296500	27.36	– 1.29

U.S. most active issues

		VOLUME	HIGH	LOW	CLOSE	CHANGE
Newmont Mng*	NEM	21753	58.14	54.42	54.78	– 1.43
Coeur d Alene*	CDE	18377	5.76	5.23	5.49	+ 0.35
Alcoa*	AA	18106	30.83	29.31	29.56	– 0.82
Barrick Gold*	ABX	17297	29.17	27.23	27.36	– 1.29
Silverado*	SLGLF	14931	0.18	0.147	0.152	– 0.018
Freeport McMo*	FCX	14915	55.34	51.18	51.46	– 1.49
Peabody Enrgy*	BTU	14669	97.47	48.72	49.07	+ 5.505
DRDGOLD*	DROOY	12432	1.54	1.37	1.42	– 0.07
CVRD*	RIO	11340	49.06	46.48	47.51	+ 0.27
Phelps Dodge*	PD	9641	150.41	137.55	137.88	– 7.17