TSX Venture Exchange June 30 – July 6

The S&P/TSX Venture Composite index mirrored shaky markets around the world during the June 30-July 6 reporting period, losing 40.93 points to close at 1,064.63. Daily trading volumes remained subdued, averaging 56 million.

After several promising weeks in the spring that pulled more junior companies to new share price highs each week than new lows, the trend solidly reversed itself. During the reporting period, only 14 Venture-listed companies attained new 52-week highs, while 30 sank to new lows.

Azteca Gold, the Spokane, Wash.-based company exploring a high-grade, zinc-lead-silver-gold zone more than 3 km below ground in Idaho, released disappointing results from its second deep hole and saw its share price fall 26¢ in one day to end the week at just 23¢. The Alberta Securities Commission also requested Azteca clarify certain technological and geological information as part of a disclosure review.

News that shareholders tendered 69% of Western Prospector Group’s shares to a 56¢ per share takeover offer from CNNC boosted the junior’s share price 20¢ to 55¢. Hong Konglisted CNNC is China’s largest uranium development and nuclear fuel company. Western Prospector is advancing its Gurvanbulag uranium deposit in Mongolia, though its two key Mongolian licences were recently suspended, apparently due to safety violations.

A newcomer to the Venture Exchange, Bon-Terra Resources, hit a new share price high on news of a planned drill campaign. Bon-Terra listed in February and soon acquired Symphony Resources, a private Nevada company with 18 mineral claims in central British Columbia that will soon see drilling. BonTerra also recently bought the Red Mountain gold property, near Stewart, from TSX-listed Seabridge Gold for almost $12 million. The project hosts 650,000 oz. gold in measured, indicated and inferred resources.

Expectation that Castle Gold will soon see a takeover or merger offer has propelled its share price to a new high — since December, the company has gained 50¢ to sit near the 70¢-mark. In March, Castle Gold announced a strategic alternative review to unlock the value in its assets; in early July, the company announced that three candidates have been selected to proceed with due diligence. Castle Gold expected to receive offers and make a decision before July 10.

News of a 16-metre intercept grading 3.7 grams gold per tonne and 20.37 grams silver, among other strong results, as well as news that the nascent gold producer increased production 40% from 1,605 oz. in the first quarter to 2,246 oz. in the second, were not enough for New Guinea Gold investors. The company’s share price lost a penny to hit a new 52-week low of 16¢.

And it’s been a hard year for Duran Ventures, which was trading above $1.20 last July but closed the reporting period at just 7.5¢. The company has three copper-gold projects in Peru, one of which returned long mineralized porphyry intercepts in an initial 2008 drill program.

TSX-V most active issues
		VOLUME	WEEK
		(000s)	HIGH	LOW	CLOSE	CHANGE
Beartooth Plat	BTP	17304	0.01	0.01	0.01	0.00
Azteca Gold	AZG	7983	0.49	0.22	0.23	-0.15
Noront Res	NOT	7584	0.74	0.60	0.69	+ 0.13
Canasia Indust	CAJ	3755	0.09	0.07	0.08	-0.01
Western Prospc	WNP	3610	0.56	0.52	0.55	+ 0.20
Western Potash	WPX	3592	0.46	0.40	0.45	+ 0.01
Svit Gold	SDP	3573	0.10	0.08	0.08	-0.01
Passport Metal	PPI	3550	0.21	0.15	0.19	+ 0.04
Anglo Swiss	ASW	3288	0.47	0.36	0.43	+ 0.06
Carmax Expl	CMX	3280	0.03	0.01	0.03	0.00

TSX-V greatest percentage change
		VOLUME	WEEK
		(000s)	HIGH	LOW	CLOSE	CHANGE
Solomon Res	SRB	13	0.45	0.31	0.31	+1450.0
CZM Capital	CZM	11	0.06	0.04	0.06	+100.0
African Aura	AAZ	43	0.14	0.08	0.13	+ 85.7
Stratabd Mnr	SB	265	0.07	0.05	0.07	+ 75.0
Barker Mnrls	BML	316	0.06	0.03	0.05	+ 66.6
Noble Metal Gr	NMG	30	0.08	0.07	0.08	+ 60.0
Molycor Gold	MOR	1151	0.08	0.05	0.08	+ 60.0
Western Prospc	WNP	3610	0.56	0.52	0.55	+ 57.1
La Quinta Res	LAQ	100	0.03	0.02	0.03	+ 50.0
Richmond Mnls	RMD	242	0.04	0.03	0.03	+ 50.0
Brigadier Gold	BRG	85	0.03	0.01	0.01	-50.0
Tanqueray Res	TQY	603	0.02	0.01	0.01	-50.0
Fortune Valley	FVX	41	0.04	0.03	0.03	-50.0
Otish Energy	OEI	380	0.02	0.01	0.01	-50.0
Azteca Gold	AZG	7983	0.49	0.22	0.23	-39.4
Rolling Rock	RLL	16	0.09	0.08	0.08	-38.4
Uranium North	UNR	27	0.12	0.10	0.10	-37.5
Exmin Res	EXM	579	0.03	0.01	0.02	-33.3
Tenajon Res	TJS	138	0.11	0.09	0.09	-30.7
IGC Res	IGC	116	0.07	0.05	0.07	-30.0

TSX-V greatest value change
WEEK
		VOLUME	CLOSE	CHANGE
Chesapeake Gld	CKG	42839	4.30	+ 0.36
Solomon Res	SRB	12752	0.31	+ 0.29
Western Prospc	WNP	3610130	0.55	+ 0.20
Maudore Minls	MAO	75500	2.20	+ 0.20
Underworld Res	UW	940311	1.71	+ 0.18
Tsodilo Res	TSD	16500	0.67	+ 0.16
Coniagas Res	CNY	732220	1.73	+ 0.13
Callinan Mns	CAA	70200	0.80	+ 0.13
Corsa Capital	CSO	27500	0.59	+ 0.13
Noront Res	NOT	7583897	0.69	+ 0.13
SouthGobi Engy	SGQ	13300	10.00	-0.50
Intl Tower Hil	ITH	160997	3.46	-0.29
Rare Elemnt Rs	RES	400877	1.63	-0.26
Rainy River Rs	RR	368863	1.99	-0.21
Western Uran	WUC	46035	0.78	-0.20
Louvem Mines	LOV	13500	0.50	-0.18
Azteca Gold	AZG	7982835	0.23	-0.15
Contintl Mnls	KMK	339685	0.91	-0.15
Hathor Expl	HAT	761854	1.76	-0.14
Mantra Mng	MAN	39300	0.80	-0.14