U.S. Markets – July 7-13

The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 168.08 points or 2.06% to close at 8,331.68, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 index rose 20.02 points or 2.27% to 901.05 during the July 7-13 reporting period. The Nasdaq advanced 47.04 points to finish at 1,793.21.

Rio Tinto topped the news after police detained the company’s Australian iron ore salesman in Shanghai, along with three of his Chinese colleagues, allegedly for spying. A senior official at one of China’s largest steelmakers, Shougang Group, has also been detained for allegedly leaking information about negotiations on iron ore prices. Apparently, he had been a member of the Chinese negotiating team, Reuters reported. Rio Tinto shares mounted US$3.40 to US$128.80 during the reporting period.

Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold posted the second-largest value gain, despite tragic news from its Grasberg mine complex in Indonesia, where a 29-year-old Australian engineer was shot dead over the weekend. Potential suspects include members of the Free Papua Movement and rogue Indonesian security forces. Freeport’s shares ended the week at US$47.91, a gain of US$1.97 per share.

Vale shares slipped US67¢ to close at US$16.45 per share. On July 9, it announced it would spend US$40 million to earn a 60% interest in Intrepid Mines’ Tujuh Bukit sulphide copper-gold project in Indonesia’s East Java province. Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, workers at Vale’s nickel mines in Sudbury and nickel refinery in Port Colborne, Ont., went on strike in the early morning of Monday, July 13. Unionized workers rejected the company’s contract offer, failing to agree on issues including bonuses and pensions. The strike won’t have any immediate impact on production, however, as the company had already closed its nickel facilities in northern Ontario temporarily due to low metal prices. Workers at Vale’s Voisey’s Bay nickel-copper mine in Labrador are poised to strike starting Aug. 1.

On the precious metals front, Barrick Gold fell US$1.13 to US$31.99, while Goldcorp slid US35¢ to US$33.53. The Amex Gold Bugs index dropped 6.91 points or 2.11% to close at 320.42.

U. S. most active issues
	VOLUME	WEEK
	(000s)	HIGH	LOW	CLOSE	CHANGE
Alcoa* AA	285284	10.08	8.96	9.66	+ 0.40
Golden Eagle* MYNG262558	0.00	1.0E8	0.00	0.00
Freeport McMo*FCX	106596	47.97	43.19	47.91	+ 1.97
PotashCSask*POT	64774	95.83	80.85	84.73	-10.73
Mosaic* MOS	50108	44.74	39.39	42.46	-1.18
Teck B* TCK	42000	16.99	14.74	16.47	-0.41
Goldcorp* GG	39162	34.79	31.84	33.53	-0.35
Arch Coal* ACI	37927	14.72	13.01	14.69	+ 0.55
Hecla Mining* HL	36660	2.61	2.26	2.58	+ 0.04
Barrick Gold* ABX	35745	33.60	30.67	31.99	-1.13

U. S. greatest percentage change
		VOLUME	WEEK
		(000s)	HIGH	LOW	CLOSE	CHANGE
Golden Phoen*	GPXM	837	0.03	0.02	0.03	+ 50.0
Madison Minls*	MMRSF	25	0.12	0.06	0.10	+ 42.8
Strata O&G*	SOIGF	1840	0.77	0.50	0.74	+ 34.5
Elray Res*	ELRA	132	0.28	0.20	0.28	+ 33.3
Samex Mng*	SMXMF	27	0.18	0.14	0.18	+ 20.0
Entree Gold*	EGI	1467	1.50	1.24	1.45	+ 18.8
Tombstone Exp*	TMBXF	636	0.07	0.06	0.07	+ 16.6
New Jersey Mg*	NJMC	39	0.29	0.23	0.29	+ 16.0
Commerce Grp*	CGCO	10	0.08	0.07	0.08	+ 14.2
Contintl Mnls*	KMKCF	170	0.90	0.79	0.90	+ 13.9
NWT Uranium*	NWURF	111	0.13	0.05	0.07	-41.6
Yellowcake Mg*	YCKM	155	0.05	0.03	0.03	-25.0
US Antimony*	UAMY	29	0.30	0.25	0.25	-21.8
Augusta Res*	AZC	275	1.69	1.32	1.40	-18.6
Canarc Res*	CRCUF	83	0.13	0.09	0.09	-18.1
Uranium Star*	URST	1345	0.21	0.14	0.14	-17.6
PlatinumGpM*	PLG	81	0.97	0.80	0.80	-17.5
Caledonia Mng*	CALVF	1795	0.06	0.04	0.05	-16.6
Puda Coal*	PUDC	1233	0.57	0.41	0.47	-16.0
Dominion Mnls*	DMNM	100	0.13	0.10	0.11	-15.3

POT

U. S. greatest value change
WEEK
		VOLUME	CLOSE	CHANGE
Rio Tinto*	RTP	6321081	128.80	+ 3.40
Freeport McMo*	FCX	106595857	47.91	+ 1.97
Foundatn Coal*	FCL	8458744	26.59	+ 1.78
Peabody Enrgy*	BTU	33371399	29.82	+ 1.71
Alpha Nat Res*	ANR	20663182	24.79	+ 1.57
BHP Billi-BBL*	BBL	6940946	43.94	+ 1.55
Ivanhoe Mines*	IVN	29127998	8.46	+ 1.03
BHP Billi-BHP*	BHP	21700907	51.63	+ 0.92
Southern Copp*	PCU	23351433	19.80	+ 0.76
Natural Rs Pt*	NRP	116300	21.37	+ 0.67
Potash C Sask*	64773805	84.73	-10.73
Intrepid Pots*	IPI	3640100	22.98	-3.42
Agrium*	AGU	3472100	37.00	-2.11
Buenaventura*	BVN	7167795	21.77	-2.09
ASA (Bermuda)*	ASA	182424	58.64	-2.04
Yanzhou Coal*	YZC	3244626	12.23	-1.44
Mosaic*	MOS	50107951	42.46	-1.18
Barrick Gold*	ABX	35745374	31.99	-1.13
Randgold Res*	GOLD	6601039	60.08	-1.07
Newmont Mng*	NEM	33960329	38.45	-1.01