U.S. Markets -May 5 -11

During the May 5-11 reporting period, the Dow Jones Industrial Average inched up 8.12 points or 0.1% to 8,418.77, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 index rose 5.44 points or 0.6% to 909.24.

Gold companies posted some of the biggest gains. The gold spot price moved from its US$895.90 per oz. close in New York on May 5 to US$923 per oz. on May 11. The Amex Gold Bugs index rose 21.75 points or 6.9% to 341.69, while the Philadelphia Gold and Silver index gained 8.35 points or 6.5%.

Randgold Resources rose US$6.68 to US$57.93 per share. The company reported net profit in the three months to March 31 grew by 41% quarter-on-quarter to US$13.1 million, on the back of increased production and a higher gold price. Attributable gold production for the quarter was up 3% at 110,310 oz. and sales rose by 12% to US$87.3 million. Randgold also reported that the expansion of its Loulo complex in Mali was on track in the first quarter and that it was ramping up development of its new Tongon mine in Cte d’Ivoire. (Tongon is scheduled to pour its first gold in the fourth quarter of 2010.) The company also said that a scoping study on its Massawa target in Senegal confirmed that it has the “makings of a world-class orebody.”

Despite posting a net loss of US$997,000 in the first quarter compared with a net loss of US$906,000 in the year-earlier quarter, Seabridge Gold gained US$3.08 to US$23.88. News on May 6 that Seabridge had signed an option agreement with Icon Industries on its Hog Ranch gold project in northwestern Nevada buoyed its share price. Barrick Gold, meanwhile, climbed on news that it was proceeding with the construction of its Pascua Lama mine. Barrick mounted US$2.75 to close the reporting period at US$33.64.

In the energy sector, Alpha Natural Resources surged US$3.19 to US$28.86 per share and Foundation Coal Holdings increased US$2.57 to US$23.24 per share ahead of an announcement on May 12 that the companies will merge in an all-share transaction. The union will create the third-largest coal producer in the United States with 2008 pro forma revenues of US$4.2 billion.

U. S. most active issues
	VOLUME	WEEK
	(000s)	HIGH	LOW	CLOSE	CHANGE
Alcoa* AA	184928	10.98	9.31	9.59	-0.74
Freeport McMo*FCX	89039	52.99	47.39	50.98	+ 2.34
CoeurdAlene* CDE	57321	1.74	1.32	1.58	-0.09
Massey Energy* MEE	51243	23.79	20.01	20.53	-1.36
Barrick Gold* ABX	50739	34.30	31.14	33.64	+ 2.75
Arch Coal* ACI	48367	19.15	16.74	17.76	+ 0.32
Goldcorp* GG	45356	32.63	28.58	32.12	+ 2.93
Teck B* TCK	44338	14.66	12.57	13.71	+ 0.35
Peabody Enrgy* BTU	35665	34.15	31.02	31.80	-0.38
Mosaic* MOS	33897	47.34	43.79	44.57	+ 0.35

U. S. greatest percentage change
		VOLUME	WEEK
		(000s)	HIGH	LOW	CLOSE	CHANGE
Strata O&G*	SOIGF	1310	0.54	0.18	0.51	+183.3
Colombia Gldf*	CGDF	1472	0.09	0.02	0.08	+166.6
PolyMet Mng*	PLM	3659	1.95	1.06	1.85	+ 77.8
Eastern Goldf*	EGDD	12	2.75	2.00	2.75	+ 57.1
Beeston Ent*	BESE	3129	0.05	0.02	0.03	+ 50.0
AmMex Gold*	AMXG	71	0.03	0.02	0.03	+ 50.0
Linux Gold*	LNXGF	456	0.06	0.04	0.05	+ 25.0
Golden Star*	GSS	13107	1.75	1.39	1.75	+ 24.1
North Am Pall*	PAL	7981	3.00	2.00	2.49	+ 23.8
Petaquilla Mn*	PTQMF	496	0.63	0.47	0.62	+ 21.5
Apolo Gold*	APLL	49	0.02	0.01	0.01	-50.0
NWT Uranium*	NWURF	35	0.13	0.08	0.08	-42.8
Amazon Goldsd*	AZNG	88	0.16	0.15	0.15	-40.0
Global Gold*	GBGD	64	0.20	0.10	0.10	-33.3
Puda Coal*	PUDC	968	0.48	0.32	0.34	-27.6
World Vent*	WVNTF	17	0.09	0.06	0.06	-25.0
America West*	AWSR	126	0.10	0.08	0.08	-20.0
China Shen Zh*	SHZ	20	0.69	0.50	0.51	-19.0
Uranium Res*	URRE	5090	1.56	1.10	1.23	-18.5
Metalline Mng*	MMG	257	0.32	0.18	0.27	-18.1

U. S. greatest value change
WEEK
		VOLUME	CLOSE	CHANGE
Randgold Res*	GOLD	5752144	57.93	+ 6.68
AngloGold Ash*	AU	10989383	36.20	+ 3.49
ASA (Bermuda)*	ASA	151517	57.70	+ 3.38
Alpha Nat Res*	ANR	32947450	28.86	+ 3.19
Seabridge Gld*	SA	1719457	23.88	+ 3.08
Goldcorp*	GG	45355904	32.12	+ 2.93
Barrick Gold*	ABX	50738784	33.64	+ 2.75
Foundatn Coal*	FCL	14243713	23.24	+ 2.57
Freeport McMo*	FCX	89039499	50.98	+ 2.34
Agnico-Eagle*	AEM	15673403	48.46	+ 2.12
OM Group*	OMG	3095361	25.90	-3.55
Agrium*	AGU	4071500	44.49	-2.47
Natural Rs Pt*	NRP	220200	22.68	-1.81
Massey Energy*	MEE	51243493	20.53	-1.36
Potash C Sask*	POT	30442138	94.96	-1.31
Westmoreland*	WLB	238041	8.65	-1.04
Southern Copp*	PCU	23618724	19.56	-0.85
Alcoa*	AA	184927534	9.59	-0.74
Intrepid Pots*	IPI	2186800	26.53	-0.72
Patriot Coal*	PCX	6413100	8.79	-0.65