TORONTO STOCK EXCHANGE -March 23-29

While a significant number of investors are optimistic that the worst is behind them, and a weak U.S. dollar is helping prop up prices in the commodities sector, Toronto’s resource-heavy TSX composite index lost 14.82 points or 0.12% to finish the March 23-29 reporting period at 12,029.72. The Global Gold index lost 5.19 points or 1.62% to finish at 316.27, while the Capped Metals & Mining index climbed 13.59 points or 1.23% to close at 1,117.58.

PC Gold was the second most actively-traded stock with 30.11 million shares changing hands. It also topped the list of percentage gains with the news of a major discovery at its Pickle Crow gold mine property in northwestern Ontario. PC Gold shares surged 155.8% or $1.06 to close at $1.74 per share on news that assay results from the second of two previously announced holes cut thick intercepts at the newly discovered No. 19 vein, at moderate depths right next to existing workings. The highlight was 43.28 grams gold over 13.3 metres, including 138.89 grams gold over 4 metres. The No. 19 vein is hosted within the same porphyry body as the historically top-producing No. 2 vein, the company said, it currently has three drills turning on the property.

First Quantum Minerals, which produces LME grade A copper cathode, copper in concentrate, gold and sulphuric acid, topped the value chart in the reporting period with an advance of $5.28 to $92.56 per share. According to a March 22 corporate presentation, First Quantum is forecasting copper production this year of 385,000 tonnes at a cash cost of US97¢ per lb., and gold production of 240,000 oz., a 25% year-on-year increase. It also noted that it is scheduled to become a “meaningful nickel producer” by 2013.

Ivanhoe Mines was up $1.12 to $17.45 per share on news that it plans to develop a pure gold company in the former Soviet republic of Kazakhstan. On March 25, executive chairman Robert Friedland said Ivanhoe had upped its stake to 50% in Altynalmas Gold, a private company that owns 100% of the Kyzyl gold project, adding that he plans to soon bring the project into commercial production. Friedland also said he is in discussions with potential strategic investors and will seek a stock market listing for the company.

Western Coal continued its steady two-week ascent, climbing $1.02 to $6.12 per share. The Vancouver-based company was also the most actively-traded stock, with 42.7 million shares changing hands. The company is still riding high on news released in mid-March that the prices it had negotiated for its coal for the April-June 2010 period represented a year-on-year increase of 59% for hard coking coal contracts and an 89% increase for low-volatile PCI coal contracts.

TSX most active issues
	VOLUME		WEEK
	(000s)	HIGH	LOW	CLOSE	CHANGE
Western C Coal WTN	42697	6.29	5.12	6.12	+ 1.02
PC Gold PKL	30111	1.90	0.84	1.74	+ 1.06
Phoenix Coal PHC	27624	0.44	0.34	0.41	+ 0.07
Crew Gold CRU	23338	0.51	0.41	0.46	-0.05
Eastern Platin ELR	21794	1.47	1.35	1.46	+ 0.06
Stornoway Diam SWY	21320	0.80	0.63	0.66	+ 0.03
Barrick Gold ABX	19460	40.40	37.65	38.60	-1.49
Yamana Gold YRI	18848	10.50	9.95	10.22	-0.10
First Metals FMA	18733	0.02	0.01	0.01	0.00
Cline Mng CMK	17170	1.68	1.25	1.66	+ 0.28

TSX greatest percentage change
		VOLUME		WEEK
		(000s)	HIGH	LOW	CLOSE	CHANGE
PC Gold	PKL	30111	1.90	0.84	1.74	+155.8
Pure Nickel	NIC	3650	0.25	0.15	0.20	+ 42.8
Nord Res	NRD	21	0.41	0.37	0.40	+ 37.9
Amerigo Res	ARG	6094	0.96	0.70	0.94	+ 32.3
Diamond Fields	DFI	1328	0.11	0.07	0.09	+ 28.5
Imperial Metal	III	1799	20.47	15.90	20.04	+ 23.7
Dejour Enterp	DEJ	1383	0.47	0.37	0.46	+ 21.0
Phoenix Coal	PHC	27624	0.44	0.34	0.41	+ 20.5
Cline Mng	CMK	17170	1.68	1.25	1.66	+ 20.2
Western C Coal	WTN	42697	6.29	5.12	6.12	+ 20.0
Talon Metals	TLO	55	0.44	0.37	0.40	-18.3
Mundoro Cap	MUN	1059	1.04	0.83	0.88	-17.7
Jaguar Mng	JAG	4500	11.49	9.77	9.90	-14.8
Victory Nickel	NI	1785	0.15	0.13	0.14	-12.5
Yorbeau Res A	YRBA	406	0.26	0.22	0.22	-12.0
Africo Res	ARL	26	0.95	0.85	0.93	-11.4
Perseus Mng	PRU	718	2.00	1.65	1.80	-10.0
Crew Gold	CRU	23338	0.51	0.41	0.46	-9.8
INV Metals	INV	73	0.85	0.70	0.75	-9.6
Rubicon Mnrls	RMX	6124	4.32	3.86	3.90	-9.3

TSX greatest value change
WEEK
		VOLUME	CLOSE	CHANGE
First Quantum	FM	2539403	92.56	+ 5.28
Imperial Metal	III	1798536	20.04	+ 3.84
Seabridge Gold	SEA	391705	25.01	+ 3.46
Teck B	TCKB	15894012	43.19	+ 2.65
Allied Nevada	ANV	2069621	16.84	+ 1.27
Ivanhoe Mines	IVN	1630077	17.45	+ 1.12
PC Gold	PKL	30111365	1.74	+ 1.06
Franco-Nevada	FNV	319682 2	27.48	+ 1.03
Western C Coal	WTN	42697239	6.12	+ 1.02
IShCOMEXGTr	IGT	12090	110.91	+ 0.99
PotashCpSask	POT	3905708	123.00	-1.94
Jaguar Mng	JAG	4500086	9.90	-1.73
Barrick Gold	ABX	19460042	38.60	-1.49
Quadra Mng	QUA	16041650	15.89	-1.49
CentralGold-T	GTU_U	32097	43.66	-1.19
Agnico-Eagle	AEM	3243135	57.31	-1.19
Inmet Mining	IMN	1541036	56.56	-1.12
Royal Gold	RGL	16672	46.97	-1.09
FNX Mining	FNX	13031373	13.92	-0.93
Goldcorp	G	14110008	38.32	-0.90