U.S. Markets May 4-7

The Dow Jones Industrial Average, the NASDAQ and the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index experienced similar gains over the trading period of May 1-7: the NASDAQ increased by 1.8%, or 45.86 points, to 2,570.95; the S&P 500 rose by 1.8%, or 27.11 points, to 1,509.48; and the Dow Jones saw a 1.9% improvement over the period, closing up 250.06 points at 13,312.97.

Amex’s Goldbugs Index climbed nearly 2% to 346.24 points, with Newmont Mining and AngloGold Ashanti seeing slightly more modest gains. Newmont shares rose US7 to US$41.97 and AngloGold Ashanti added US10 to its share price. Gold Fields, however, slipped US3 to US$18.17.

Base metals producers had a little bit more to talk about with aluminum giant Alcoa seeing a lot of activity over the period and gaining US$3.14 for a US$38.63 close. The company made a US$33-billion hostile bid for rival Alcan, whose shares climbed to US$82.11 from US$58.87.

After losing ground during the previous period, the big copper producers bounced back. Rio Tinto jumped to US$269.11 per share from US$244.00, Southern Copper added US$5.49 for a US$85.79 close and Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold rose US$4.99, closing at US$72.15.

Apex Silver Mines announced US$112 million in net income for the first quarter compared with a net loss of US$174.4 million during last year’s first quarter. The company’s share price rose US$2.98 to US$17.97 over the trading period.

Coeur d’Alene Mines dropped US26 to US$3.83. On May 3, the company announced a US$1.1-billion merger deal to acquire Australia’s Bolnisi Gold and its 73.6%-owned subsidiary, TSX Venture Exchange-listed Palmarejo Silver and Gold.

The combined company would be the world’s leading primary silver producer. Production for 2009, if the merger goes through, is estimated at roughly 32 million oz. silver and 290,000 oz. gold.

U.S. greatest percentage change

		VOLUME(000s)	HIGH	LOW	CLOSE		CHANGE
Douglas Lk Ml*	DLKM	145	0.71	0.48	0.71	+	47.9
Commerce Grp*	CGCO	37	0.14	0.10	0.14	+	40.0
Alcan*	AL	35844	82.60	59.92	82.11	+	37.5
Campbell Res*	CBLRF	1434	0.143	0.108	0.135	+	22.7
APEX Silver*	SIL	6379	19.68	15.28	17.97	+	18.0
Starfield Res*	SRFDF	431	0.31	0.25	0.30	+	15.3
Claude Res*	CGR	1260	1.64	1.41	1.61	+	12.9
US Antimony*	UAMY	126	0.932	0.80	0.90	+	12.5
Alberta Star *	ASXSF	489	1.64	1.45	1.63	+	11.6
Puda Coal*	PUDC	3874	2.15	1.95	2.15	+	10.8
Sparrowtech R*	SPMC	100	0.06	0.055	0.055	–	26.6
Diamond Discv*	DMDD	185	0.009	0.007	0.007	–	12.5
Golden Eagle*	MYNG	1612	0.027	0.024	0.024	–	11.1
El Capitan Pr*	ECPN	240	0.55	0.48	0.50	–	10.7
Stillwater Mg*	SWC	2925	16.15	13.84	14.18	–	10.5
Northgate Mnl*	NXG	10161	3.68	3.37	3.41	–	8.5
Alpha Nat Res*	ANR	4846	17.97	16.45	16.87	–	8.4
Colombia Gldf*	CGDF	478	1.38	1.21	1.28	–	7.2
Entree Gold*	EGI	198	2.18	1.98	2.014	–	6.3
Apolo Gold*	APLL	79	0.067	0.065	0.066	–	5.7

U.S. greatest value change

		VOLUME	CLOSE		CHANGE
Alcan*	AL	35844153	82.11	+	22.42
Rio Tinto*	RTP	824250	269.11	+	15.46
Soc Quim&M Ch*	SQM	38700	161.89	+	4.51
Southern Copp*	PCU	3067914	85.49	+	3.72
Alcoa*	AA	82733589	38.63	+	3.57
APEX Silver*	SIL	6379050	17.97	+	2.75
BHP Billi-BBL*	BBL	254400	49.47	+	2.73
Cleveland-Cli*	CLF	1476523	73.89	+	2.14
BHP Billi-BHP*	BHP	9034663	52.00	+	1.97
Teck Comin B*	TCK	524900	82.21	+	1.96
Stillwater Mg*	SWC	2924685	14.18	–	1.68
Alpha Nat Res*	ANR	4846280	16.87	–	1.55
Mosaic*	MOS	4063170	30.06	–	0.76
OM Group*	OMG	1860000	58.47	–	0.64
Gammon Lk Res*	GRS	620100	15.87	–	0.59
Idaho Gen Mn*	GMO	1808288	5.85	–	0.33
Northgate Mnl*	NXG	10160890	3.41	–	0.32
MDU Res*	MDU	1367900	30.39	–	0.30
Arch Coal*	ACI	4791246	37.02	–	0.29
Gold Reserve*	GRZ	1124000	7.04	–	0.24

U.S. most active issues

		VOLUME(000s)	HIGH	LOW	CLOSE		CHANGE
Alcoa*	AA	82734	38.83	34.94	38.63	+	3.57
Coeur d Alene*	CDE	41925	3.93	3.74	3.83	–	0.07
Alcan*	AL	35844	82.60	59.92	82.11	+	22.42
CVRD*	RIO	22552	44.33	42.93	43.45	+	0.68
Golden Star*	GSS	20123	4.81	4.35	4.41	–	0.11
Freeport McMo*	FCX	16826	73.46	71.05	72.15	+	1.45
Barrick Gold*	ABX	15249	31.37	30.32	31.07	+	0.74
Newmont Mng*	NEM	14517	42.35	41.55	41.97	+	0.07
Goldcorp*	GG	13756	25.65	24.89	25.07	+	0.34
Crystallex In*	KRY	12695	4.29	3.98	4.29	+	0.34