TSX Venture Exchange october 3-6

The S&P-TSX Venture Composite Index continued its decline in tandem with softer gold prices over the holiday-shortened Oct. 3-6 trading session, shedding 88.15 points to close at 2,365.66 as investors bailed from energy and resource stocks to seek refuge in cash or less volatile investment sectors. The market correction may have a silver lining in that some resource issues are trading in bargain territory, which could lead to a rally in the coming weeks or months.

Goldmarca continued to top the most-active trading list, but closed down 14 at 84. The Robin Slaughter-led company is drilling a high-grade gold target at its Condor project in Ecuador, with a recent highlight being 2 metres of 256.7 grams gold per tonne, included in a zone of 14 metres averaging 38.6 grams gold.

Plexmar Resources slipped 11 to 59 over the trading session. The junior is also active in South America, with its highest-profile project being the Bolsa del Diablo gold project in northwestern Peru.

High-flying Aurelian Resources settled back to earth at least a little over the latest trading session, down $3.65 at $26.30. The junior has been a market darling of late based on high-grade drilling results from its gold project in Ecuador.

Iciena Ventures lost a penny to close at 14, and after a period of relative inactivity, appears to be attracting some investor attention because of its diamond properties in Brazil’s Mato Grosso state. The junior controls about 4,000 sq. km of ground in two diamond districts and is focused on exploring both alluvial and kimberlite prospects.

Taking fourth spot on the most-active list was Skeena Resources, another junior actively exploring a high-grade gold project in Ecuador. The company closed at 80, off 18 from a week ago, after enjoying a run-up based on previous trenching and sampling results from the El Corazon project. New drilling results are expected shortly.

The largest value gainer, Macarthur Minerals, jumped up 45 to $2.50 after reporting that it had completed a second phase of drilling at its wholly owned Lake Giles iron project in Western Australia.

McChip Resources posted a gain of 33 to $3.22, to take second spot on the list of largest value gainers or losers. The junior participates in oil-and-gas ventures and also invests in mining companies. Among its core investments is an 11% stake in Baffinland Iron Mines, which is developing an iron ore project in northern Canada.

Seabridge Gold rises and falls with the gold price, and this session was no different. The company’s shares fell 99 to close at $12.55. The company holds an extensive portfolio of large but low-grade gold projects.

TSX-V greatest percentage change

	VOLUME(000s)	HIGH	LOW	CLOSE	CHANGE
Gossan Res	GSS	15	0.38	0.30	0.38	+31.0
Trivalence Mng	TMI	15	0.22	0.215	0.22	+29.4
Stealth Mnls	SML	110	0.09	0.07	0.09	+28.5
Sidon Intl Res	SD	44	0.205	0.16	0.205	+28.1
Mano River Res	MNO	34	0.24	0.18	0.24	+26.3
Aumega Discov	AUM	231	0.20	0.15	0.20	+25.0
Metalcorp	MTC	440	1.68	1.36	1.65	+23.1
Rockgate Cap	RGT	35	0.32	0.23	0.32	+23.0
Macarthur Mnl	MMS	77	2.50	2.00	2.50	+21.9
Baja Mng wt	BAJ.WT	25	0.60	0.50	0.50	-34.2
Telkwa Gold	TKW	64	0.075	0.06	0.06	-29.4
Medoro Res	MRS	144	0.59	0.42	0.425	-29.1
Puma Expl	PUM	175	0.235	0.175	0.175	-28.5
Altai Res	ATI	87	0.125	0.105	0.105	-27.5
Strategic Nev	SNS	311	0.35	0.24	0.24	-27.2
Verona Dev	VDC	119	0.62	0.455	0.47	-26.5
Black Bull Res	BBS	161	0.155	0.10	0.14	-26.3
Southern Silvr	SSV	31	0.60	0.51	0.51	-26.0
Diamcor Mng	DMR	97	0.055	0.045	0.045	-25.0

TSX-V greatest value change

		VOLUME	CLOSE	CHANGE
Macarthur Mnl	MMS	77100	2.50	+0.45
McChip Res	MCS	12000	3.22	+0.33
Metalcorp	MTC	440000	1.65	+0.31
Azimut Expl	AZM	156720	2.56	+0.30
Midway Gold	MDW	439607	2.85	+0.25
Pan African Mg	PAF	37100	2.10	+0.25
Intl Tower Hil	ITH	17200	3.24	+0.24
Titan Uranium	TUE	489520	1.89	+0.22
Camphor Vent	CFV	106900	1.50	+0.20
Gobimin	GMN	62200	1.93	+0.13
Aurelian Res	ARU	1781377	26.30	-3.65
Bear Creek Mng	BCM	338289	8.50	-1.43
Seabridge Gold	SEA	231764	12.55	-0.99
Dynasty Met&Mn	DMM	238086	4.24	-0.90
Pac Booker Min	BKM	47370	7.15	-0.86
Norsemont Mng	NOM	158453	2.20	-0.60
Asia Gold	ASG	62728	1.70	-0.54
Polymet Mng	POM	585155	2.93	-0.47
Palmarejo Gold	PJO	26995	7.55	-0.45
Pearl Ex & Pr	PXX	571927	4.46	-0.44

TSX-V most active issues

		VOLUME(000s)	HIGH	LOW	CLOSE	CHANGE
Goldmarca	GML	9939	1.04	0.82	0.84	-0.14
Plexmar Res	PLE	9067	0.68	0.56	0.59	-0.11
Iciena Vent	IIE	7156	0.17	0.12	0.14	-0.01
Skeena Res	SKE	5331	0.95	0.74	0.80	-0.18
Atacama Min	AAM	5091	1.11	1.00	1.00	-0.10
UrAsia Energy	UUU	3713	2.57	2.30	2.47	-0.03
Searchgold Res	RSG	3580	0.17	0.14	0.16	+0.005
Blue Note Mtls	BNT	3408	0.285	0.25	0.28	-0.02
Genco Res	GGC	2679	1.77	1.65	1.76	0.00
Bayswater Uran	BAY	2503	1.03	0.78	1.02	0.00