U. S. MARKETS JUNE 24-26

Investors ran for cover during the abbreviated June 24-26 trading session as oil prices climbed above US$140 per barrel on Thursday. The same day, Chakib Khelil, president of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, said oil prices could rise to between US$150 and US$170 a barrel this summer.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged 388.94 points, or 3.28%, to close at 11,453.42, while the S&P 500 Index slid 34.85 points or 2.64% to finish at 1,283.15.

The gold space proved one of the few safe havens, with the Amex Gold Bugs Index gaining 19.51 points or 4.6% to close at 437.22. The biggest news in the precious metals sector was Agnico-Eagle Mines topping the charts with a gain of US$5.76 per share. Agnico closed at US$70.99 per share on news that it is making a major investment in a prospective deposit in northwestern Ontario. The company will invest about US$50 million in Gold Eagle Mines for a stake in its Bruce Channel Discovery along the western part of the Red Lake trend.

The markets were good to most of the gold companies. Randgold Resources jumped US$2.73 a share to US$42.79, AngloGold Ashanti rose US$2.57 to US$32.08 and Newmont Mining was up US$2.52 to US$52.18. Goldcorp climbed US$2.50 to US$44.34 and Kinross Gold increased US$2.23 to US$22.34.

Crystallex International shares soared 77.2% to US$1.17 on developments in Venezuela, where it holds the Las Cristinas gold project. The Toronto-based company said officials at Venezuela’s Environment Ministry told Crystallex that the government had asked the ministry to reconsider the issuance of a key environmental permit.

Like most weeks, Vale was the most actively traded stock, with 88 million shares changing hands. Vale rose US47 a share to US$35.53.

Utah Uranium’s 76.1% surge to US37 a share proved that sometimes it’s all in the name. The junior exploration company announced on June 25 that it is changing its name to Universal Potash Corp. to more closely reflect the direction of the company.

U. S. most active issues
	VOLUME	WEEK
	(000s) HIGH	LOW	CLOSE	CHANGE
Vale* RIO	88047 37.49	34.71	35.53	+ 0.47
Alcoa* AA	38814 38.00	35.20	35.30	-2.41
PotashCSask* POT	29860 235.50	215.63	219.20	-17.05
Freeport McMo*FCX	28111 119.89	112.53	115.66	-2.89
Goldcorp* GG	28063 44.69	40.07	44.34	+ 2.50
Peabody Enrgy* BTU	27891 87.70	79.34	80.86	-3.90
CoeurdAlene*CDE	27596 3.09	2.81	2.97	-0.12
Barrick Gold* ABX	27345 43.26	39.43	43.04	+ 2.02
Gold Fields* GFI	23548 12.05	11.00	11.92	+ 0.83
Newmont Mng* NEM	23301 52.42	49.20	52.18	+ 2.52

U. S. greatest percentage change
		VOLUME	WEEK
		(000s)	HIGH	LOW	CLOSE	CHANGE
Crystallex In*	KRY	20791	1.30	0.83	1.17	+ 77.2
Utah Uranium*	UTUC	539	0.44	0.21	0.37	+ 76.1
Gold Reserve*	GRZ	2116	1.98	1.40	1.79	+ 39.8
El Capitan Pr*	ECPN	763	0.12	0.08	0.10	+ 25.0
Industrl Mnls*	IDSM	451	0.06	0.05	0.06	+ 20.0
Commerce Grp*	CGCO	58	0.18	0.12	0.18	+ 20.0
Uranium Res*	URRE	10333	4.70	3.22	3.95	+ 19.7
New Jersey Mg*	NJMC	36	0.42	0.39	0.39	+ 18.1
Geocom Res*	GOCM	18	0.15	0.13	0.15	+ 15.3
Radius Gold*	RDUFF	53	0.30	0.26	0.30	+ 15.3
Nilam Res*	NILR	3855	0.32	0.12	0.13	-48.0
Diamond Discv*	DMDD	5469	0.04	0.02	0.03	-40.0
NT Holding*	NTHH	138	0.32	0.17	0.20	-28.5
Buckingham Ex*	BUKX	80	0.35	0.25	0.25	-28.5
Raven Gold*	RVNG	402	0.13	0.08	0.10	-16.6
Shoshone Silv*	SHSH	28	0.18	0.16	0.17	-15.0
AmMex Gold*	AMXG	29	0.08	0.06	0.06	-14.2
Strata O&G*	SOIGF	264	0.80	0.68	0.69	-13.7
Soc Quim&M Ch*	SQM	8262	56.00	46.17	46.99	-12.2
China Shen Zh*	SHZ	13	3.73	3.20	3.22	-12.0

U. S. greatest value change
WEEK
	VOLUME	CLOSE	CHANGE
Agnico-Eagle* AEM	11958856	70.99	+ 5.76
ASA (Bermuda)* ASA	935117	79.80	+ 3.76
Randgold Res* GOLD	2128620	42.79	+ 2.73
AngloGold Ash* AU	6977290	32.08	+ 2.57
Newmont Mng* NEM	23300780	52.18	+ 2.52
Goldcorp* GG	28063453	44.34	+ 2.50
Kinross Gold* KGC	19270432	22.34	+ 2.23
Gold Mnrs ETF* GDX	6942817	46.42	+ 2.14
Barrick Gold* ABX	27345003	43.04	+ 2.02
Pan Am Silver* PAAS	3000323	32.99	+ 1.91
Rio Tinto* RTP	651091	453.68	-23.89
Potash C Sask* POT	29860301	219.20	-17.05
Agrium* AGU	3957100	103.92	-8.53
Mosaic* MOS	22113715	142.73	-7.94
Soc Quim& amp;M Ch*SQM	8262061	46.99	-6.54
Massey Energy* MEE	15430479	88.03	-5.35
CONSOL Energy* CNX	11474093	108.42	-4.92
BHP Billi-BHP* BHP	15210884	81.11	-4.62
BHP Billi-BBL* BBL	2235530	71.82	-4.33
Southern Copp* PCU	4754714	108.57	-3.98