Toronto Stock Exchange – March 24-30

Toronto’s main stock index rose for the third week in a row, bringing some measure of relief to weary investors. The resource-laden S&P/TSX composite index gained 253.17 points or 2.9% during the March 24-30 reporting period to close at 8,596.22. The index touched its highest level in more than six weeks on March 26, but closed down 3% on March 30, following news that a U. S. presidential task force had rejected restructuring plans put forth by General Motors and Chrysler. Investors hoping for a moderation in bad news will have to be patient. The Capped Metals and Mining index fell 4.97 points, or 1.4%, to close the week at 345.46.

For gold bugs, spot prices fluctuated between the New York close of US$926.10 per oz. at the beginning of the reporting period and US$915.80 at the end. The Global Gold index climbed 5.26 points or 1.65% to finish at 335.07 points. Gold major Newmont Mining posted the biggest value gain, jumping $2.28 to $56.89 per share. Agnico-Eagle Mines ranked third on the list of value leaders with an increase of $2.13 per share to $71.40. On the other side of the ledger, gold royalty company Franco-Nevada dropped $2.55 to close at $26.90 per share, despite posting strong fourth-quarter results. The company reported record quarterly revenue of US$42.5 million and net income of US$15.4 million or 15¢ per share.

For the third straight week, Teck’s class B shares were the most actively traded, with roughly 70 million shares changing hands. In the last week of March, the company was ordered to pay more than US$1 million to an American Indian tribe to reimburse it for legal expenses that it took on when it tried to force Teck to remediate downstream pollution from its Trail zinc smelter, in B. C. Teck closed up 23¢ at $6.87 per share.

Grande Cache Coal was the second most actively traded stock with about 37 million shares changing hands. The Alberta-based metallurgical coal mining company announced on March 24 that despite depressed prices for its product it intended to seek regulatory approval for its No. 12 South B2 underground mine, which the company wants to act as a successor to its operating No. 7 underground mine. If it gets the required approvals, the company says it will be prepared to start site preparation for surface portals in early 2010. Grande Cache will file a National Instrument 43-101 statement of resources and reserves in support of the No. 12 mine project with its annual information form for the fiscal year ended March 31.

Dismal quarterly results drove down shares of nickel and copper miner FNX Mining, which contracted 93¢ to $4.17 apiece. The company posted a fourth-quarter loss of $397.4 million, or $4.68 per share, a big contrast to its fourth-quarter profit in 2007 of $32.3 million, or 38¢ per share.

TSX most active issues
	VOLUME	WEEK
	(000s)	HIGH	LOW	CLOSE	CHANGE
Teck B TCKB	70263	8.06	6.17	6.87	+ 0.23
Grande Cache C GCE	37945	1.49	0.98	1.12	+ 0.12
Lundin Mng LUN	36688	2.00	1.43	1.80	+ 0.28
Yamana Gold YRI	34638	12.00	10.74	11.33	-0.06
HoriznsGBull HGU	27721	14.94	12.76	13.99	+ 0.14
Equinox Minls EQN	26179	2.20	1.78	1.87	-0.03
Uranium One UUU	25685	2.99	2.53	2.60	-0.11
WesternCCoalWTN	23699	0.92	0.59	0.70	+0.08
KinrossGold K	22363	23.84	21.32	22.49	+0.19
Barrick Gold ABX	20856	41.54	39.01	40.88	+ 0.34

TSX greatest percentage change
		VOLUME	WEEK
		(000s)	HIGH	LOW	CLOSE	CHANGE
Avnel Gold	AVK	19	0.13	0.03	0.12	+200.0
Yukon-Nev Gold	YNG	10792	0.18	0.08	0.12	+ 50.0
Liberty Mines	LBE	1763	0.15	0.08	0.13	+ 44.4
Atlanta Gold	ATG	66	0.29	0.15	0.28	+ 40.0
Malaga	MLG	935	0.16	0.10	0.14	+ 40.0
Labdr Iron Mns	LIR	56	1.18	0.85	1.18	+ 38.8
Suramina Res	SAX	93	0.29	0.18	0.25	+ 38.8
MDN Inc	MDN	1684	0.74	0.53	0.70	+ 37.2
Hard Creek Ni	HNC	161	0.28	0.16	0.19	+ 35.7
Formation Cap	FCO	3145	0.30	0.17	0.23	+ 35.2
Goldstake Exp	GXP	45	0.04	0.03	0.03	-40.0
Amerigo Res	ARG	2855	0.49	0.28	0.29	-39.5
Copper Mesa	CUX	186	0.03	0.02	0.02	-33.3
Mineral Depost	MDM	11	0.75	0.52	0.52	-30.6
Africo Res	ARL	19	0.70	0.55	0.70	-26.3
Platmin	PPN	694	1.05	0.64	0.68	-26.0
Moneta Porcpn	ME	200	0.12	0.10	0.10	-23.0
Ursa Major Min	UMJ	63	0.09	0.07	0.07	-22.2
Strateco Res	RSC	494	1.30	1.02	1.02	-22.1
Western Copper	WRN	155	0.50	0.35	0.38	-20.8

TSX greatest value change
WEEK
		VOLUME	CLOSE	CHANGE
Newmont Mng	NMC	196605	56.89	+ 2.28
Potash Cp Sask	POT	9176800	103.50	+ 2.18
Agnico-Eagle	AEM	5337901	71.40	+ 2.13
IShCOMEXGTr	IGT	75299	113.94	+ 1.24
Kirkland Lk Gd	KGI	339526	7.40 < /td>	+ 1.19
Extract Res	EXT	23713	3.78	+ 0.98
Royal Gold	RGL	35471	55.99	+ 0.96
Richmont Mines	RIC	261207	4.65	+ 0.85
Allied Nevada	ANV	1531931	6.90	+ 0.75
Athabasca Pota	API	2538156	3.25	+ 0.70
First Quantum	FM	6131711	33.50	-8.72
Inmet Mining	IMN	2267495	30.33	-5.17
Central Gold-T	GTU_U	41900	53.41	-3.09
Franco-Nevada	FNV	4014307	26.90	-2.55
Agrium	AGU	5865300	45.01	-2.26
Gammon Gold	GAM	3798221	7.96	-1.66
Labdr I-Ore Ro	LIF_U	616631	26.50	-1.58
FNX Mining	FNX	4782847	4.17	-0.93
Cameco Corp	CCO	6521960	21.38	-0.77
Pan Am Silver	PAA	1055348	21.62	-0.64