TSX Venture Exchange – Jan. 13-19

For the Jan. 13-19 trading session, the S&P/TSX Venture Exchange circled in a holding pattern, losing only 5.4 points. It began the week at 878.35, fell as low as 844.3, but regained to close at 872.95 points. Traffic averaged a modest 51 million trades per day.

Although as usual there were few new 52-week highs — only Romarco Minerals achieved the coveted position — there were distinctly fewer new 52-week lows. Following months in which lows numbered in the hundreds, during the past session only 72 companies skirted precipitous altitudes.

On the plus side, concrete mania stemming from news of U. S. President Barack Obama’s infrastructure plan may be helping at least one junior company. Kaolinminer Whitemud Resources gained 48¢ to close at $1.84. The company operates a 175,000-tonne-per-year kaolin mine 165 km south of Regina, Sask., where it produces metakaolin, a concrete strengthener, called Whitemud. Although American concrete producers experienced concrete bumps as early as late November, Whitemud’s began about mid-December. That is perhaps a sign of investors looking for potential beneficiaries of Obama’s stimulus package near the U. S. border.

The price of nickel may be less than stellar these days, but Macarthur Minerals, with its Lake Giles nickel project in Australia, gained 58¢ to close at $1.98. It announced the sale of a 20% stake in that project to Minmetals Mining for an unspecified amount. The deal also gives Minmetals the right to take a further 50% interest for $100 million. Macarthur says the bulk of the $100 million will end up in shareholders’ pockets as a special dividend.

In Nye County, Nevada, Nevada Sunrise Gold cut 9.1 metres grading 12.6 grams gold per tonne and 192.5 grams silver in hole 307 of its latest drilling campaign at the Golden Arrow property. The result helped lift Nevada Sunrise’s share price by 16¢ to close the session out at 23¢. So far, the company has pegged Golden Arrow at 9.6 million tonnes grading 0.709 gram gold and 9.92 grams silver. Nevada Sunrise says the drilling is part of an effort to update the property’s resource estimate.

Results of Exeter Resource’s latest drill program boosted its share price as well. It cut as much as 372 metres grading 0.85 gram gold per tonne and 0.47% copper at its sizable Caspiche porphyry project in Chile. The numbers drove a 44¢ gain that saw the company close at $1.84.

Also following drill-hole results, Azteca Gold gained 11¢ to close at 19¢ after it reported cutting as much as 4.7 metres grading 40% zinc, 7.4% lead and 140.7 grams silver at its Two Mile project in Idaho, of which it holds a 50% stake.

Other notables on the plus side were Tinka Resources, up 6¢ to close at 12¢, and Northern Platinum, up 21¢ to close at 46¢.

On the negative side, Quaterra Resources dropped 23¢ to 60¢, Polar Star Mining shed 21¢ to 29¢, and New Pacific Metals fell 16¢ to close the session at 49¢.

TSX-V most active issues
	VOLUME	WEEK
	(000s)	HIGH	LOW	CLOSE	CHANGE
Continuum Res CNU	11952	0.05	0.05	0.05	-0.01
KWG Res KWG	11862	0.04	0.03	0.03	0.00
San Gold Res SGR	11140	1.26	1.16	1.25	+ 0.07
Pelangio Expl PX	7834	0.06	0.04	0.05	-0.01
Universal Powr UNX	7068	0.28	0.19	0.25	+ 0.05
Cloudbreak Res CDB	6989	0.06	0.04	0.06	+ 0.02
MacDonald Mns BMK	6938	0.09	0.07	0.07	0.00
Potash North PON	6692	0.47	0.29	0.44	+ 0.13
Century Mining CMM	6549	0.09	0.04	0.08	+ 0.03
Noront Res NOT	6368	1.29	0.94	1.12	+ 0.14

TSX-V greatest percentage change
		VOLUME	WEEK
		(000s)	HIGH	LOW	CLOSE	CHANGE
Intl Chalice R	IRI	56	0.04	0.04	0.04	+300.0
Nevada Sunrise	NEV	25	0.23	0.08	0.23	+228.5
Tinka Res	TK	15	0.12	0.06	0.12	+200.0
Duncan Park H	DPH	12	0.05	0.05	0.05	+150.0
Menika Mining	MML	45	0.05	0.03	0.05	+150.0
Orestone Mng	ORS	10	0.05	0.05	0.05	+150.0
Azteca Gold	AZG	4976	0.19	0.11	0.19	+137.5
Global Hunter	BOB	212	0.08	0.04	0.08	+100.0
Garson Gold	GG	853	0.06	0.04	0.06	+100.0
Highbank Res	HBK	274	0.03	0.01	0.02	+100.0
Valencia Vent	VVI	60	0.08	0.01	0.04	-82.6
Mill City Intl	MC	73	0.05	0.01	0.01	-75.0
MPH Vent	MPS	14	0.05	0.02	0.02	-75.0
Intl Kirkland	IKI	183	0.05	0.01	0.01	-75.0
Black Bull Res	BBS	68	0.04	0.01	0.01	-66.6
Bonanza Res	BRS	20	0.05	0.03	0.04	-63.6
Acero-Martin E	ASD	682	0.04	0.01	0.03	-57.1
Castillian Res	CT	251	0.05	0.01	0.04	-55.5
Stroud Res	SDR	45	0.08	0.04	0.08	-52.9
Dajin Res	DJI	51	0.06	0.03	0.03	-50.0

TSX-V greatest value change
WEEK
		VOLUME	CLOSE	CHANGE
Macarthur Mnl	MMS	19000	1.98	+ 0.58
Whitemud Res	WMK	196173	1.84	+ 0.48
Exeter Res	XRC	78480	2.64	+ 0.44
Pac Booker Min	BKM	11580	6.40	+ 0.39
Western Uran	WUC	514814	0.93	+ 0.23
Northern Plat	NTH	12500	0.46	+ 0.21
Salazar Res	SRL	90449	0.65	+ 0.20
Fission Energy	FIS	5349773	0.52	+ 0.19
Maudore Minls	MAO	20215	1.69	+ 0.19
Fortuna Silver	FVI	1127320	1.07	+ 0.18
Quaterra Res	QTA	162540	0.60	-0.23
Polar Star Mng	POS	249268	0.29	-0.21
Valencia Vent	VVI	59520	0.04	-0.19
New Pac Metals	NUX	12530	0.49	-0.16
Roca Mines	ROK	2438550	0.28	-0.15
Avino Silver	ASM	18500	0.59	-0.12
McVicar Res	MCV	14451	0.23	-0.12
Intl Tower Hil	ITH	756000	1.85	-0.11
Bralorne Gold	BPM	14526	0.60	-0.11
Magellan Minls	MNM	127851	0.49	-0.11