U.S. Markets -December 8-14

Anxiety that interest rates may soon start to rise, outpacing the current and uneven recovery, continued to make investors skittish over the Dec. 8-14 reporting period. Nevertheless, the Dow Jones Industrial Average edged up 215.08 points or 2.1% to close at 10,501.05, while the S&P 500 index climbed 22.17 points or 2% to finish at 1,114.11. The Nasdaq rose 39.11 points or 1.8% to 2,212.10.

Majors like Barrick Gold, Agnico-Eagle Mines, and Goldcorp, however, all fell significantly. Barrick lost US$2.54 to close at US$39.90 per share, while Agnico-Eagle slid US$2.41 to close at US$60.31 and Goldcorp dipped US$1.23 to US$40.08. The New York spot price for gold closed down US$1.90 during the reporting period at US$1,126.40 per oz., while the major gold indices moved in the opposite direction. The Amex Gold Bugs index advanced 8.12 points or 1.84% to 449.56, while the Philadelphia Gold and Silver index mounted 2.27 points or 1.32% to close at 174.38.

News that Cliffs Natural Resources had won its battle with Noront Resources for Freewest Resources Canada and its coveted chromite deposits in the Ring of Fire district of northern Ontario sent the major’s shares up US$3.18 during the reporting period to close at US$45.06 per share.

Only Central Appalachian coal heavyweights Alpha Natural Resources and Massey Energy, buoyed by surging energy prices, could boast larger gains. Alpha Natural added US$4.04 per share to US$40.81, while Massey Energy jumped US$3.52 to US$39.50. Teck Resources rose US$3.06 to US$37.01 per share following news that it expects coal production next year to be 23.5 to 25 million tonnes and that it is planning for further production increases in 2011 and 2012.

Meanwhile in Mongolia, Rio Tinto and Ivanhoe Mines announced they had set a 2010 construction budget of US$758 million for development work at their Oyu Tolgoi copper-gold mining complex. Rio Tinto advanced US$2.52 to US$209.93 and Ivanhoe gained US$1.95 to US$14.03.

U.S. most active issues
	VOLUME	WEEK
	(000s) HIGH	LOW	CLOSE	CHANGE
Alcoa* AA	189427 15.00	12.77	14.82	+ 1.77
Hecla Mining* HL	81549 6.75	6.11	6.64	-0.03
Barrick Gold* ABX	77745 41.72	39.38	39.90	-2.54
Freeport McMo*FCX	59334 79.27	76.11	78.84	+ 0.15
Silver Wheatn* SLW	48465 15.66	14.73	15.62	-0.23
Goldcorp* GG	43959 41.29	39.53	40.08	-1.23
Silverado* SLGLF	42364 0.01	0.01	0.01	0.00
Newmont Mng* NEM	38373 52.38	50.04	51.57	-0.26
Potash C Sask* POT	37909 124.10	115.75	116.56	-4.61
Gold Fields* GFI	33036 14.30	13.50	14.21	+ 0.08

U.S. greatest percentage change
		VOLUME		WEEK
		(000s)	HIGH	LOW	CLOSE	CHANGE
Miranda Gold*	MRDDF	161	0.70	0.53	0.67	+ 19.6
Ivanhoe Mines*	IVN	13413	14.45	12.00	14.03	+ 16.1
Geovic Mng*	GVCM	437	0.66	0.55	0.64	+ 14.2
Alcoa*	AA	189427	15.00	12.77	14.82	+ 13.5
World Vent*	WVNTF	11	0.09	0.08	0.09	+ 12.5
Corriente Rs*	ETQ	471	6.64	5.75	6.58	+ 11.9
Midway Gold*	MDW	224	1.03	0.86	0.98	+ 11.3
Tri-Valley*	TIV	654	2.10	1.58	2.00	+ 11.1
Alpha Nat Res*	ANR	19925	40.97	36.12	40.81	+ 10.9
Patriot Coal*	PCX	3781	13.47	11.93	13.47	+ 10.4
Amazon Goldsd*	AZNG	12	0.20	0.16	0.16	-36.0
Elray Res*	ELRA	2920	0.40	0.20	0.22	-29.0
Commerce Grp*	CGCO	12	0.06	0.06	0.06	-25.0
HuntMountain*	HNTM	13	0.09	0.06	0.06	-25.0
Alberta Star *	ASXSF	694	0.22	0.16	0.17	-19.0
US Energy*	USEG	5920	6.03	4.84	5.04	-16.6
Caledonia Mng*	CALVF	1990	0.06	0.05	0.05	-16.6
Cream Mnrls*	CRMXF	25	0.07	0.06	0.06	-14.2
Tombstone Exp*	TMBXF	575	0.06	0.05	0.06	-14.2
Madison Minls*	MMRSF	69	0.18	0.14	0.15	-11.7

U.S. greatest value change
WEEK
	VOLUME	CLOSE	CHANGE
Alpha Nat Res* ANR	19925323	40.81	+ 4.04
Massey Energy* MEE	18814276	39.50	+ 3.52
Cliffs Nat Rs* CLF	19899825	45.06	+ 3.18
Teck B* TCK	25896582	37.01	+ 3.06
Rio Tinto* RTP	3410330	209.93	+ 2.52
Ivanhoe Mines* IVN	13413364	14.03	+ 1.95
Agrium* AGU	4012600	62.21	+ 1.90
Alcoa* AA	189427025	14.82	+ 1.77
CONSOL Energy* CNX	11614558	45.05	+ 1.37
Soc Quim&M Ch*SQM	3177069	39.40	+ 1.31
Potash C Sask* POT	37909487	116.56	-4.61
Buenaventura* BVN	8451283	34.65	-2.89
Barrick Gold* ABX	77745403	39.90	-2.54
Agnico-Eagle* AEM	18537219	60.31	-2.41
Intrepid Pots* IPI	1419100	29.24	-1.69
Seabridge Gld* SA	1339048	25.25	-1.44
Goldcorp* GG	43958728	40.08	-1.23
US Energy* USEG	5920285	5.04	-1.01
CoeurdAlene* CDE	16305159	19.83	-0.99
Mosaic* MOS	23055112	58.98	-0.96