U.S. Markets -January 5-11

The U.S. markets remained solid over the Jan 5-11 trading period with the Dow Jones Industrial Average inching up 80.03 points to close at 10,663.99 while the S&P 500 rose 13.99 points to close at 1,146.98.

A U.S. Labor Department report illustrated the patchy recovery happening south of the border: the country lost 85,000 jobs in December after gaining 4,000 in November. But manufacturing activity is on the up and up, expanding in December at its fastest pace since April 2006 with factory orders increasing 1.1% last month, the seventh increase in eight months.

This was likely good news for metals prices, which continued their upward momentum and helped push mining stocks higher. Gold rose US$31.50 to US$1,153.00 per oz., silver was up US$1.76 per oz. to US$18.84, and copper held strong, increasing US3¢ to US$3.41 per lb.

The big gold miners all posted gains over the period. Newmont Mining was up US$1.73 to US$50.18, Goldcorp gained US$1.77 to close at US$42.45, Hecla Mining rose US16¢ to US$6.63 and Barrick Gold gained US$1.25 to close at US$41.64.

Base metals miners were up as well. Aluminum giant Alcoa was the most actively traded stock with 238 million shares changing hands, pushing the stock up US8¢ to US$17.45. Over the last year, aluminum has inched up from the US60¢-range to over US$1 per lb. but now many are wondering whether the rally will continue.

Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold shares were up US$4.63 apiece to US$88.09. Rio Tinto shares increased the most by value, rising US$11.03 to close at US$235.14.

Coal producers were also among the top gainers for the period.

Massey Energy shares jumped US$4.15 apiece to US$48.30 while Arch Coal shares shot up US$3.90 per share to US$27.38. Arch Coal, which has operations in the Powder River basin, the Western Bituminous region and Central Appalachia, fuels about 6% of all electricity generated in the United States. Arch Coal has a significant un-priced thermal coal position which could be a benefit to the company going forward.

Massey is busy denying claims by environmental groups that it has committed 12,000 pollution-related violations. Accusations include releasing too much aluminum, suspended solids, iron and other pollutants from its mines and facilities.

In 2008, the Environmental Protection Agency fined Massey US$20 million for violating the Clean Air Act.

U.S. most active issues
	VOLUME	WEEK
	(000s) HIGH	LOW	CLOSE	CHANGE
Alcoa* AA	238133 17.60	16.03	17.45	+ 0.80
Freeport McMo*FCX	59759 90.55	83.13	88.09	+ 4.63
Barrick Gold* ABX	56884 42.64	40.04	41.64	+ 1.25
Hecla Mining* HL	54392 6.99	6.44	6.63	+ 0.16
Potash C Sask* POT	40574 126.47	114.75	122.88	+ 10.68
Goldcorp* GG	35116 43.55	40.38	42.45	+ 1.77
Newmont Mng* NEM	35106 51.25	47.77	50.18	+ 1.73
Arch Coal* ACI	34683 28.34	23.33	27.38	+ 3.90
Silver Wheatn* SLW	33353 17.80	15.77	17.45	+ 1.66
Goldspring* GSPG	30412 0.01	0.01	0.01	0.00

U.S. greatest percentage change
		VOLUME		WEEK
		(000s)	HIGH	LOW	CLOSE	CHANGE
Geocom Res*	GOCM	156	0.02	0.01	0.02	+100.0
Grandview Gld*	GVGDF	117	0.13	0.10	0.12	+ 71.4
Golden Phoen*	GPXM	2579	0.06	0.04	0.05	+ 66.6
HuntMountain*	HNTM	120	0.29	0.15	0.24	+ 60.0
Radius Gold*	RDUFF	339	0.35	0.17	0.30	+ 57.8
China Shen Zh*	SHZ	213	1.65	0.98	1.45	+ 54.2
Starfield Res*	SRFDF	254	0.14	0.10	0.12	+ 50.0
Canarc Res*	CRCUF	170	0.18	0.13	0.16	+ 45.4
Anooraq Res*	ANO	3388	1.32	0.92	1.29	+ 37.2
General Moly*	GMO	6735	3.28	2.27	2.95	+ 28.8
Lake Vict Mng*	LVCA	275	0.69	0.40	0.47	-27.6
Constittn Mng*	CMIN	2412	1.54	1.19	1.22	-19.2
Patriot Gold*	PGOL	94	0.21	0.17	0.18	-10.0
Samex Mng*	SMXMF	310	0.50	0.43	0.46	-9.8
Crystallex In*	KRY	3971	0.39	0.34	0.36	-7.6
Nevsun Res*	NSU	3883	2.62	2.28	2.28	-7.6
Silver Dragon*	SDRG	1003	0.43	0.35	0.40	-6.9
Strata O&G*	SOIGF	382	0.52	0.44	0.47	-6.0
Xtra-Gold Res*	XTGR	55	1.02	0.91	0.96	-5.8
Bullion Monar*	BULM	257	0.79	0.70	0.73	-5.1

U.S. greatest value change
WEEK
	VOLUME	CLOSE	CHANGE
Rio Tinto* RTP	2799790	235.14	+ 11.03
Potash C Sask* POT	40574113	122.88	+ 10.68
Agrium* AGU	3119500	69.38	+ 6.53
AlumCpChina* ACH	1820300	33.99	+ 5.39
Soc Quim&M Ch*SQM	7095125	43.85	+ 5.24
Cliffs Nat Rs* CLF	17029911	52.88	+ 4.67
Freeport McMo* FCX	59758587	88.09	+ 4.63
Mosaic* MOS	29884771	66.31	+ 4.60
Massey Energy* MEE	19721695	48.30	+ 4.15
Arch Coal* ACI	34682935	27.38	+ 3.90
Cameco Corp* CCJ	9127892	31.91	-1.33
Constittn Mng* CMIN	2411848	1.22	-0.29
MDU Res* MDU	2131768	23.72	-0.19
Nevsun Res* NSU	3882911	2.28	-0.19
Lake Vict Mng* LVCA	275088	0.47	-0.18
Uranium Ener* UEC	267900	3.67	-0.14
Affinity Gold* AFYG	17150	2.90	-0.09
Xtra-Gold Res* XTGR	54692	0.96	-0.06
Banro Res* BAA	996495	2.04	-0.06
Quaterra Res* QMM	292300	2.12	-0.05