Toronto Stock Exchange April 25-May 1

The S&P-TSX Composite Index fell 107.67 points to close the April 25-May 1 report period at 12,234.56. Bank of Canada head David Dodge hinted at further modest interest rate hikes, which helped push the loonie to a 14-year high against the greenback.

The gold index climbed 3.6% to 324.55 points. Silver led the shiny metals, jumping 9% to US$13.92 per oz. on the launch of a silver-backed exchange-traded fund in the U.S. The diversified miners shed 3.62 points to 493.46 as the base metals ended mixed after China raised interest rates to rein in its booming economy.

Junior potash developer Asia Pacific Resources topped the volume board, but ended unchanged at 13.5 on 41 million shares. The high volume is attributed to arbitrage action. The company recently agreed to a 14.25-per-share friendly takeover bid from a subsidiary of Italian-Thai Development based in New Brunswick.

Recently listed Perth-based Crescent Gold more than doubled to 55 after reverse-circulation drilling returned up to 27 metres running 5.4 grams gold and 2 metres of 26.5 grams from the Castaway prospect in Western Australia.

First Silver Reserve jumped $1.30, or 63%, to $3.36 on 2.2 million shares. Venture Exchange-listed First Majestic Resource recently agreed to acquire a 63% stake in the company for $53.4 million. The deal is slated to close by June 2.

Nuinsco Resources made a dime, or 34%, to hit 39 after throwing a $15.5-million lifesaver to drag Campbell Resources out of creditor protection. Nuinsco will take over management of Campbell’s Joe Mann mine, and Copper Rand and Corner Bay copper projects.

Aquiline Resources advanced 81, or 29%, to $3.56. Drilling at the Castro Sur target on the Calcatreu project in Argentina yielded up to 5.3 grams gold and 36.7 grams silver over 12 metres. The company was also reportedly recommended by newsletter writer James Dines. A court ruling over ownership of the large Navidad silver deposit in Argentina is still outstanding.

On the minus side, Zaruma Resources surrendered much of its recent gains to end 4 or 19% cheaper at 17. The shares had jumped on confirmation of a resource estimate of the Luz del Cobre copper deposit in Mexico.

Pacific North West Capital fell 8, or nearly 19%, to 37 after it dropped an option on the Agnew Lake platinum group metal project, near Sudbury, Ont. The move follows Anglo Platinum’s decision to cut exploration funding. The project was under option from Platinum Group Metals, which lost 3 to $2.10.

Cameco fell 73 to $46.52 despite more than quadrupling its earnings to $117 million. The uranium giant warned the pace would not be sustained into the second quarter. Likewise, a forecast of lower second-quarter coking coal prices saw Fording Canadian Coal Trust units slip $2.84 to $41.82, even after its net income more than doubled to $165 million.

TSX greatest percentage change

		Volume(000s)	High	Low	Close	Change
Crescent Gold	CRA	2374	0.55	0.24	0.55	+129.1
First Silver	FSR	2195	3.62	2.15	3.36	+63.1
YGC Res	YGC	745	1.90	1.30	1.80	+38.4
Nuinsco Res	NWI	7738	0.45	0.28	0.39	+34.4
Northgate M wt	NGX.WT	2588	1.82	1.34	1.70	+32.8
Aquiline Res	AQI	1676	4.50	2.57	3.56	+29.4
Northgate wtA	NGX.WT.A	932	1.78	1.32	1.70	+28.7
Rio Narcea wt	RNG.WT	248	0.43	0.33	0.43	+28.3
Gabriel Res wt	GBU.WT	2105	1.40	1.15	1.40	+27.2
Petaquilla Mnl	PTQ	1344	2.49	1.96	2.45	+24.3
Zaruma Res	ZMR	4129	0.195	0.165	0.165	-19.5
Pac NW Cap	PFN	642	0.495	0.365	0.365	-18.8
Pure Gld Mnr	PUG	3732	0.08	0.06	0.065	-18.7
Caldera Res	CDR	1047	0.09	0.075	0.075	-16.6
Franc-Or Res	FOR	250	0.31	0.26	0.26	-16.1
Freegold Vent	ITF	654	0.56	0.46	0.48	-14.2
Canadn Zinc	CZN	1536	1.58	1.30	1.33	-13.6
South Am Gld&C	SAG	4758	0.075	0.065	0.065	-13.3
Ontex Res	ONT	44	0.205	0.20	0.20	-13.0
Contact Diam	CO	281	0.50	0.415	0.435	-13.0

TSX greatest value change

		Volume	Close	Change
Goldcorp wt*	G.WT.U	24858	53.75	+8.53
Goldcorp wt	G.WT	30396	66.52	+4.57
Glamis Gold	GLG	5326032	43.70	+2.70
ISh COMEX G Tr	IGT	56913	72.80	+2.60
Goldcorp	G	10545313	40.11	+2.52
Potash Cp Sask	POT	1526068	105.60	+2.42
Western Silver	WTC	1020925	31.65	+2.12
Central Gold-T	GTU.UN	56343	27.75	+2.00
Agnico-Eag wt*	AEM.WT.U	13050	19.50	+1.75
Lundin Mng	LUN	617883	36.25	+1.75
Teck Comin A	TEK.MVA	28108	79.24	-5.37
Teck Comin B	TEK.SVB	9619789	78.12	-3.88
Aber Diamond	ABZ	919274	43.01	-2.44
Labdr I-Ore Ro	LIF.UN	379088	28.78	-1.21
Royal Gold	RGL	12804	37.50	-0.93
Major Drilling	MDI	366519	25.90	-0.82
Southwstrn Res	SWG	598656	13.95	-0.80
Cameco Corp	CCO	5454342	46.52	-0.73
Central Fund	CEF.NVA	950225	10.02	-0.58
Gold Reserve	GRZ	499833	10.07	-0.55

TSX most active issues

		Volume(000s)	High	Low	Close	Change
Asia Pac Res	APQ	40662	0.14	0.135	0.135	0.00
EuroZinc Mng	EZM	34823	2.70	2.49	2.56	+0.07
Bema Gold	BGO	27066	6.64	5.88	6.38	+0.08
Cambior Inc	CBJ	20738	4.71	4.19	4.47	-0.13
HudBay Minls	HBM	20419	13.80	12.73	13.80	+1.03
Yamana Gold	YRI	18991	12.60	11.59	12.50	+0.63
Kinross Gold	K	15786	14.21	13.15	13.97	+0.74
Eldorado Gold	ELD	15096	6.07	5.62	6.02	+0.17
TVI Pacific	TVI	13584	0.25	0.195	0.225	-0.005
Northgate Mnls	NGX	11697	4.66	4.13	4.61	+0.44