Toronto Stock Exchange -March 2-8

Positive economic news here and abroad helped buoy the TSX composite index over the March 2-8 trading period. At home, the Canadian economy grew during the fourth quarter of 2009 at an annualized rate of 5% compared to an expected 4% — the fastest pace since 2000. Meanwhile, concern over the debt crisis in Greece is lessening as the government there outlines plans to aggressively cut its deficit.

The TSX increased 2% over the period, gaining 235.78 points to close at 11,963.84 points — almost 60% higher than last March’s low.

The Capped Metals and Mining index fared even better, rising 4.5%, or 47.03 points, to close at 1,084.46. The Global Gold index inched up 1.3% to 329.27 points.

It was the junior gold companies that got the most trading action over the period. West Africa-focused Volta Resources was the most actively traded stock with 31 million shares changing hands, pushing the share price up 79%, or 58¢, to $1.31, and reaching a new high of $1.46. Volta reported drill results from its Kiaka project in Burkina Faso showing continuity and wide zones of mineralization. On March 8, Volta announced drill results from its Gongondy copper-gold porphyry deposit, also in Burkina Faso, including 29 metres grading 0.38% copper and 1 gram gold per tonne.

A deal with a potential Chinese buyer put Chariot Resources in second place for the most actively traded stock with 27.8 million shares traded. Chariot shares remained unchanged at 65¢ over the period. China Sci-Tech Holdings has offered shareholders 67¢ per share and will gain projects in Peru if the deal is approved by shareholders.

First Quantum Minerals was the top gainer by value over the period, up $6.33 to $86.68. The copper miner, which recently bought BHP Billiton’s Ravensthorpe nickel project in Western Australia for US$340 million, said it was interested in acquiring additional nickel projects on the cheap. The price of nickel has doubled over the past year to US$10 per lb., but is nowhere close to the peak around US$24 per lb. in 2007.

Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan shares were up $3.50 apiece to $121.33. The company announced that Canpotex, the international marketing and distribution company owned by Potash Corp., Mosaic and Agrium, had set new pricing -US$415 per tonne for standard grade and US$430 per tonne for granular grade potash.

Seabridge Gold was the top value loser, falling $1.34 to $23.10. The company closed a US$65.8-million financing at $22.90 per share. The funds will be used to develop its projects, including the Courageous Lake project in the Northwest Territories. The project has measured resources of 6.3 million tonnes grading 2.92 grams gold per tonne, indicated resources of 53 million tonnes grading 2.14 grams gold.

TSX most active issues
		VOLUME		WEEK
		(000s)	HIGH	LOW	CLOSE	CHANGE
Volta Res	VTR	31040	1.46	0.79	1.31	+ 0.58
Chariot Res	CHD	27822	0.66	0.64	0.65	0.00
Crew Gold	CRU	27592	0.41	0.27	0.28	-0.11
Lundin Mng	LUN	26799	4.71	4.34	4.66	+ 0.28
Yamana Gold	YRI	25644	11.53	10.41	10.44	-0.75
Eastern Platin	ELR	23183	1.49	1.33	1.48	+ 0.14
Barrick Gold	ABX	17456	41.85	40.05	40.84	+ 0.79
Equinox Minls	EQN	15122	3.70	3.36	3.64	+ 0.26
Teck B	TCKB	14802	42.98	39.93	41.57	+ 1.63
IAMGold Corp	IMG	13988	16.49	15.37	15.62	+ 0.14

TSX greatest percentage change
		VOLUME		WEEK
		(000s)	HIGH	LOW	CLOSE	CHANGE
Volta Res	VTR	31040	1.46	0.79	1.31	+ 79.4
Tiger Res	TGS	30	0.40	0.25	0.25	+ 56.2
Zincore Mtls	ZNC	1849	0.36	0.22	0.30	+ 50.0
Acadian Mng	ADA	7082	0.10	0.06	0.08	+ 33.3
South Am Gld&C	SAG	2019	0.04	0.03	0.04	+ 33.3
Hard Creek Ni	HNC	469	0.35	0.26	0.32	+ 28.0
Yukon-Nev Gold	YNG	3718	0.29	0.22	0.28	+ 27.2
Revett Mnls	RVM	4618	0.44	0.31	0.42	+ 27.2
Globex Mng	GMX	333	1.80	1.32	1.63	+ 26.3
CIC Energy	ELC	1158	1.84	1.50	1.84	+ 26.0
Crew Gold	CRU	27592	0.41	0.27	0.28	-28.2
Gold Reserve	GRZ	162	1.22	1.02	1.02	-17.0
Coro Mining	COP	985	0.57	0.47	0.48	-12.7
PolyMet Mng	POM	1133	2.56	1.92	2.25	-11.0
Niocan Inc	NIO	11	0.30	0.25	0.25	-10.7
Lake Shore Gld	LSG	11495	3.27	2.82	2.82	-10.4
Queenston Mng	QMI	348	5.11	4.56	4.58	-10.2
Khan Res	KRI	3410	0.90	0.65	0.83	-9.7
Geologix Ex	GIX	1573	0.22	0.18	0.19	-9.5
Duluth Metals	DM	1158	2.52	2.22	2.25	-8.5

TSX greatest value change
WEEK
		VOLUME	CLOSE	CHANGE
First Quantum	FM	2406958	86.68	+ 6.33
PotashCpSask	POT	3614479	121.33	+ 3.50
FNX Mining	FNX	9572789	15.30	+ 2.41
Inmet Mining	IMN	2313841	58.21	+ 2.29
Teck A	TCKA	11249	42.75	+ 2.15
Labdr I-Ore Ro	LIF_U	336139	49.86	+ 2.00
Quadra Mng	QUA	8496109	16.45	+ 1.65
Teck B	TCKB	14802203	41.57	+ 1.63
Goldcorp	G	12781522	41.36	+ 1.34
Agrium	AGU	3453746	69.80	+ 1.13
Seabridge Gold	SEA	284757	23.10	-1.34
IShCOMEXGTr	IGT	19285	113.13	-1.17
Ivanhoe Mines	IVN	3023352	15.95	-1.02
Cameco Corp	CCO	7904022	28.20	-0.85
Yamana Gold	YRI	25643719	10.44	-0.75
Centerra Gold	CG	1786383	12.26	-0.65
Red Back Mng	RBI	11339257	20.60	-0.59
Gammon Gold	GAM	2955416	9.78	-0.57
North Am En Pa	NOA	93736	10.34	-0.52
Queenston Mng	QMI	348459	4.58	-0.52