U.S. Markets Sept. 15-21

U. S. equity markets remained stable during the Sept. 15-21 reporting period with the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbing 95.45 points or 0.99% to 9,788.86 and the S&P 500 index edging up 12.03 points or 1.14% to finish at 1,064.66. The Nasdaq advanced 35.4 points or 1.68% to 2,138.04.

Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan topped the list of value gainers with a rise of US$4.34 per share to US$93.09 — despite news on Sept. 18 that the company is revising its full-year earnings guidance to US$3.25-3.75 per share from US$4-5. The change “primarily reflects lower than forecasted potash sales volumes due to continued slow demand and limited restocking by fertilizer distributors around the world,” the company stated, noting that over the last year, global producers have curtailed almost 20 million tonnes of potash production. The company forecasts that despite an anticipated decrease of 60% in year-over-year potash volumes and an 85% decline in the company’s combined phosphate and nitrogen gross margin, earnings this year should still be “among the best” in the company’s history.

Coal and natural gas producer Consol Energy claimed the number two spot, rising US$3.55 to US$46.98 per share on no news, while iron ore and coal giant Cliffs Natural Resources, rose US$3.08 to US$33.48. Sociedad Quimica y Minerale de Chile_— an integrated producer of potassium nitrate, iodine and lithium carbonate and industrial chemicals — gained US$2.73 to US$39.10.

On the precious metals front, the Amex Gold Bugs index fell 14.67 points or 3.39% to 417.57 during the week, while the Philadelphia Gold and Silver index dropped 5.06 points or 2.96% to 166.02. Seabridge Gold lost US$2.28 to US$28.44, while majors Barrick Gold and AngloGold Ashanti fell US88¢ to US$36.51 and US84¢ to US$42, respectively.

The only two gold companies to post gains were Compania de Minas Buenaventura and Randgold Resources. Buenaventura, which currently operates seven mines in Peru, took third spot on the list of value gainers, ascending US$3.15 to US$33.48 on no news, while Randgold advanced US$1.54 to US$72.20.

U. S. most active issues
	VOLUME	WEEK
	(000s)	HIGH	LOW	CLOSE	CHANGE
Alcoa* AA	190177	14.84	13.00	13.94	+ 1.00
Barrick Gold* ABX	87598	39.07	35.62	36.51	-0.88
Hecla Mining* HL	86288	5.04	4.03	4.32	-0.12
Freeport McMo*FCX	65085	72.96	67.68	70.08	-0.54
PotashCSask* POT	49882	98.71	89.07	93.09	+ 4.34
Goldcorp* GG	49686	43.32	39.57	40.91	+ 0.10
Arch Coal* ACI	48919	24.10	20.70	22.64	+ 1.97
Newmont Mng* NEM	44935	47.98	43.17	44.41	-1.35
Silver Wheatn* SLW	42486	13.34	10.57	12.52	+ 0.30
Kinross Gold* KGC	40680	23.65	21.16	22.12	+ 0.14

U. S. greatest percentage change
		VOLUME	WEEK
		(000s)	HIGH	LOW	CLOSE	CHANGE
Uranium Star*	URST	3875	0.66	0.35	0.66	+ 60.9
Gold Reserve*	GRZ	2247	0.98	0.59	0.89	+ 45.9
Legend Intl H*	LGDI	7260	1.11	0.62	0.90	+ 45.1
Mountain Prov*	MDM	1145	2.87	1.59	2.33	+ 42.9
NWT Uranium*	NWURF	223	0.22	0.14	0.20	+ 42.8
Constittn Mng*	CMIN	2892	1.48	1.02	1.48	+ 34.5
Douglas Lk Ml*	DLKM	494	0.29	0.20	0.29	+ 31.8
Denison Mines*	DNN	1286	1.94	1.49	1.89	+ 26.0
Uranium Res*	URRE	9390	1.45	0.97	1.22	+ 24.4
US Antimony*	UAMY	57	0.44	0.36	0.44	+ 22.2
American Uran*	ACUC	16	4.88	0.25	2.95	-41.0
Midway Gold*	MDW	221	1.00	0.70	0.74	-21.2
Silver Dragon*	SDRG	2407	0.30	0.20	0.23	-20.6
Fischer-W Gld*	FWGO	18	0.04	0.04	0.04	-20.0
Tri-Valley*	TIV	2760	2.65	1.95	2.01	-17.9
Global Gold*	GBGD	337	0.20	0.10	0.17	-15.0
Bullion Monar*	BULM	55	0.84	0.70	0.73	-13.1
America West*	AWSR	186	0.10	0.07	0.08	-11.1
Anooraq Res*	ANO	791	0.94	0.81	0.82	-9.8
Vista Gold*	VGZ	8643	2.55	2.05	2.14	-9.7

U. S. greatest value change
WEEK
	VOLUME	CLOSE	CHANGE
Potash C Sask* POT	49881795	93.09	+ 4.34
CONSOL Energy* CNX	22443378	46.98	+ 3.55
Buenaventura* BVN	11744771	33.48	+ 3.15
Cliffs Nat Rs* CLF	32650268	33.48	+ 3.08
Soc Quim&M Ch*SQM	8906961	39.10	+ 2.73
Agrium* AGU	3295500	51.66	+ 2.20
Cabot Corp* CBT	4806001	23.10	+ 2.03
Arch Coal* ACI	48918869	22.64	+ 1.97
Southern Copp* PCU	22019975	30.05	+ 1.81
Randgold Res* GOLD	9049325	72.20	+ 1.54
Seabridge Gld* SA	2509192	28.44	-2.28
American Uran* ACUC	15861	2.95	-2.05
Royal Gold* RGLD	4931420	45.06	-1.72
Newmont Mng* NEM	44934778	44.41	-1.35
BHP Billi-BBL* BBL	7253989	55.70	-0.90
Barrick Gold* ABX	87597725	36.51	-0.88
AngloGold Ash* AU	19107775	42.00	-0.84
Peabody Enrgy* BTU	32284997	38.18	-0.72
Agnico-Eagle* AEM	20770775	68.83	-0.58
Freeport McMo* FCX	65085452	70.08	-0.54