U.S. Markets – August 4-10

The rate of new job losses declined during the Aug 4-10 reporting period as corporate earnings were up, and U. S. markets continued to improve.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 51.39 points to 9,337.95 while the S&P 500 held steady over the 1,000-mark, closing up 4.47 points at 1,007.1.

As the optimism spread, gold slipped US$14.75 to close at US$945 per oz. while base metals continued their recent run, leaving some analysts wondering whether current prices are sustainable. Copper rose to US$2.76 per lb., up US4¢ over the period. Nickel climbed US45¢, closing at US$8.96 per lb. after trading as high as US$9.16.

That didn’t seem to help base metals giant Rio Tinto, which was the top loser by value over the period. Rio shares fell US$22.98 to close at US$155.07 apiece. Rio’s top iron ore salesperson in China, an Australian citizen, and three Chinese coworkers were detained by Chinese authorities a month ago. They have been accused of spying on Chinese steel mills that were major buyers of the company’s iron ore, but no charges have been laid.

Randgold Resources and AngloGold Ashanti were also among the top losers by value. Randgold was down US$6.92 to close at US$58.07, while AngloGold fell US$3.44 to finish the period at US$36.32. Randgold’s US$500-million bid for TSXlisted Moto Goldmines topped an earlier friendly bid by Red Back Mining. Now Randgold has a new world-class gold project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, partly thanks to a sideline deal with AngloGold that was contingent on the successful bid. AngloGold will take on a 50% interest in the Moto gold project, which has reserves of 5.5 million oz. gold.

Junior Uranium Star was one of the top gainers on a percentage basis over the period, advancing nearly 74% to 33¢ per share. The OTC-traded stock jumped after signing a purchase and sale agreement with Madagascar Minerals, allowing it to buy the remaining 25% of the Green Giant vanadium project in Madagascar for US$100,000, plus a 2% net smelter return royalty. Uranium Star now owns the project outright.

U. S. most active issues
	VOLUME	WEEK
	(000s) HIGH	LOW	CLOSE	CHANGE
Alcoa* AA	224281 13.70	12.35	12.69	+ 0.12
Freeport McMo*FCX	80805 66.20	61.55	62.38	-2.76
Teck B* TCK	42482 27.97	25.23	25.62	-2.77
Hecla Mining* HL	35922 3.50	3.11	3.12	-0.14
PotashCSask* POT	35785102.29	95.00	96.45	+ 1.31
Barrick Gold* ABX	34494 36.71	33.95	34.26	-1.85
Golden Eagle* MYNG	29345 0.00	1.0E8	0.00	0.00
Kinross Gold* KGC	27614 20.72	19.26	19.67	-0.33
Arch Coal* ACI	27597 18.73	17.60	18.02	-0.36
Peabody Enrgy* BTU	27289 36.13	34.43	35.21	-0.30

U. S. greatest percentage change
		VOLUME	WEEK
		(000s) HIGH	LOW	CLOSE	CHANGE
Brookmount Ex*	BMXI	34 0.10	0.05	0.10	+100.0
Uranium Star*	URST	2571 0.33	0.17	0.33	+ 73.6
Madison Minls*	MMRSF	115 0.13	0.08	0.13	+ 44.4
Shoshone Silv*	SHSH	83 0.12	0.09	0.12	+ 33.3
Starfield Res*	SRFDF	316 0.20	0.16	0.16	+ 23.0
Pediment Gold*	PEZGF	266 0.83	0.61	0.80	+ 21.2
L&L Intl Hldg*	LLFH	536 3.68	3.00	3.68	+ 20.6
Miranda Gold*	MRDDF	65 0.37	0.30	0.37	+ 19.3
Dejour Enterp*	DEJ	37 0.29	0.21	0.26	+ 18.1
New Jersey Mg*	NJMC	46 0.28	0.24	0.28	+ 16.6
Cream Mnrls*	CRMXF	94 0.13	0.09	0.09	-18.1
Petaquilla Mn*	PTQMF	95 0.62	0.53	0.56	-17.6
Aurelio Res*	AULO	68 0.06	0.05	0.05	-16.6
Northern Dyn*	NAK	1706 7.46	6.21	6.30	-15.7
Samex Mng*	SMXMF	131 0.13	0.11	0.11	-15.3
North Am Pall*	PAL	5886 3.35	2.90	3.00	-14.5
Cornerstone C*	CTNXF	15 0.08	0.06	0.06	-14.2
Caledonia Mng*	CALVF	1101 0.07	0.05	0.06	-14.2
Rio Tinto*	RTP	4402175.90	153.68	155.52	-12.7
Quaterra Res*	QMM	194 0.79	0.64	0.69	-11.5

U. S. greatest value change
WEEK
	VOLUME	CLOSE	CHANGE
Potash C Sask* POT	35784504	96.45	+ 1.31
Cabot Corp* CBT	3810395	19.74	+ 1.12
CONSOL Energy* CNX	13562142	38.31	+ 1.03
L&L Intl Hldg* LLFH	536111	3.68	+ 0.63
Intrepid Pots* IPI	1655200	26.46	+ 0.59
Eldorado Gold* EGO	14711153	10.56	+ 0.55
North Am En P* NOA	156000	6.09	+ 0.34
New Gold* NGD	8434440	3.36	+ 0.33
MDU Res* MDU	3431868	20.79	+ 0.28
Harry Winston* HWD	265700	5.97	+ 0.26
Rio Tinto* RTP	4401716	155.52	-22.80
Randgold Res* GOLD	4285004	58.07	-6.92
BHP Billi-BHP* BHP	23801724	62.53	-3.78
BHP Billi-BBL* BBL	10748035	51.69	-3.78
AngloGold Ash* AU	8984476	36.32	-3.44
OM Group* OMG	2771764	31.35	-3.40
Agnico-Eagle* AEM	14315260	56.64	-2.87
Teck B* TCK	42482440	25.62	-2.77
Freeport McMo* FCX	80805438	62.38	-2.76
Natural Rs Pt* NRP	232700	20.46	-2.64