U.S. MARKETS (January 10, 2011)

For the Dec. 20-31 report period, U.S markets were tepid. The S&P 500 closed 13.73 points higher at 1,257.64, marking its best December performance in 19 years. The Dow Jones was up 0.7% to 11,577.51, while Nasdaq closed up at 2,652.87.
Commodities finished 2010 on a high note. Crude oil ended up more than 12% at US$91.38 per barrel, thanks in part to some cold winter weather, rising global demand, falling inventories and the weak U.S. dollar. Analysts estimate that oil will soon hit the US$100 per barrel mark. The Philadelphia Gold and Silver index closed 7.6 points higher at 226.56, as the price of gold jumped US$42.20 to reach US$1,421.40 per oz., off slightly from its recent high of US$1,432. The spot price of silver rose 6% to US$30.92 per oz.
Paramount Gold and Silver shares rose US$1.25 in heavy trading to US$3.99 after reporting very promising drill results from a new gold-silver discovery on its 100%-owned San Miguel project in northern Mexico’s Chihuahua state.
News that China was imposing export restrictions on rare earth elements (REE) sent the shares of REE companies soaring, including Rare Element Resources, which climbed to US$16.06 for a gain of US$6.72.  The junior has recently closed a $57-million financing, which will be used to advance its Bear Lodge rare earths project in Wyoming through completion of a prefeasibility study.
China Shen Zhou Mining & Resources, a company engaged in the mining and processing of fluorite and non-ferrous metals in China, nearly doubled in price to close at US$8.40. The company announced that China’s preliminary 2011 production targets for fluorite should have a positive impact on pricing.
After reporting final drilling results from an initial seven holes totaling 2,500 metres on its Guadalupe gold-silver property in Mexico’s Zacatecas state, Gold American Mining was off 40%, dropping to US27¢.
Tri-Valley Corp. was up 46% at US57¢. The junior oil and gas producer with mineral interests in Alaska has been shopping around an interest in its Shorty Creek porphyry prospect and recently announced the US$2.5-million sale of its Admiral Calder calcium carbonate quarry.

U.S. most active issues
    VOLUME    WEEK
    (000s)    HIGH    LOW    CLOSE    CHANGE
Alcoa*    AA    167204    15.63    14.41    15.39    +    0.83
Rare Elemt Re*    REE    108721    17.62    9.38    16.06    +    6.72
Hecla Mining*    HL    81538    11.52    10.51    11.26    +    0.66
Silver Wheatn*    SLW    55573    39.24    35.42    39.04    +    2.34
Intl Coal Gp*    ICO    45657    7.94    6.99    7.74    +    0.74
Freeport McMo*    FCX    45158    120.78    113.93    120.09    +    6.38
Barrick Gold*    ABX    31128    53.46    50.70    53.18    +    1.55
Newmont Mng*    NEM    30162    61.83    59.02    61.43    +    2.03
Paramount Gld*    PZG    29203    4.03    3.05    3.99    +    1.25
Uranium Res*    URRE    28444    3.60    2.90    3.40    +    0.27

U.S. greatest percentage change
    VOLUME    WEEK
    (000s)    HIGH    LOW    CLOSE    CHANGE
Strata O&G*    SOIGF    2463    0.44    0.11    0.23    +    109.0
Geocom Res*    GOCM    234    0.02    0.01    0.02    +    100.0
China Shen Zh*    SHZ    3264    9.65    4.01    8.40    +    90.4
Douglas Lk Ml*    DLKM    2550    0.78    0.45    0.74    +    72.0
Rare Elemt Re*    REE    108721    17.62    9.38    16.06    +    71.9
Crosshair E&M*    CXZ    1919    2.81    1.21    2.52    +    66.8
Tri-Valley*    TIV    12540    1.05    0.39    0.57    +    46.1
Paramount Gld*    PZG    29203    4.03    3.05    3.99    +    45.6
Cardero Res*    CDY    6144    2.37    1.54    2.30    +    45.5
Canarc Res*    CRCUF    1309    0.29    0.19    0.28    +    33.3
Yellowcake Mg*    YCKM    2229    0.14    0.05    0.05    –    54.5
Gold Am Mng*    SILA    4814    0.46    0.25    0.27    –    40.0
Infrastrc Mat*    IFAM    400    0.18    0.17    0.18    –    25.0
Li3 Energy*    LIEG    1554    0.29    0.20    0.23    –    23.3
Habanero Res*    HBNRF    20    0.09    0.08    0.09    –    18.1
Mesabi Trust*    MSB    6650    50.35    38.37    38.49    –    17.9
Fischer-W Gld*    FWGO    628    0.06    0.04    0.05    –    16.6
Geovic Mng*    GVCM    1902    0.85    0.62    0.71    –    16.4
Tombstone Exp*    TMBXF    1067    0.13    0.08    0.11    –    15.3
Linux Gold*    LNXGF    1075    0.08    0.06    0.06    –    14.2

U.S. greatest value change
        WEEK
    VOLUME    CLOSE    CHANGE
Potash C Sa
sk*    POT    26259269    154.83    +    14.88
Agrium*    AGU    2852947    91.75    +    9.58
Mosaic*    MOS    27516053    76.36    +    9.03
Alpha Nat Res*    ANR    15518914    60.03    +    8.09
Rare Elemt Re*    REE    108720871    16.06    +    6.72
Freeport McMo*    FCX    45157945    120.09    +    6.38
Consol Energy*    CNX    25275050    48.74    +    5.83
Soc Quim&M Ch*    SQM    4339124    58.42    +    5.02
Teck B*    TCK    17139463    61.83    +    4.17
China Shen Zh*    SHZ    3264390    8.40    +    3.99
Mesabi Trust*    MSB    6649896    38.49    –    8.39
Randgold Res*    GOLD    5664725    82.33    –    4.92
OM Group*    OMG    1035579    38.51    –    0.74
Cabot Corp*    CBT    1612233    37.65    –    0.48
Allied Nevada*    ANV    561538    26.31    –    0.33
Vista Gold*    VGZ    5605644    2.39    –    0.31
America West*    AWSR    82869    1.95    –    0.30
Ivanhoe Mines*    IVN    20491183    22.92    –    0.24
Augusta Res*    AZC    258509    3.81    –    0.20
Gold Am Mng*    SILA    4814064    0.27    –    0.18