U.S. Markets august 1-7

Trading on U.S stock markets was flat over the report period Aug. 1-Aug. 7, with the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index up barely a point to close at 1,275.77. Three penny juniors were the most active traders over the period, with all three flat or moving a penny or less.

Aluminum giant Alcoa was the most active senior company on the list, down US40 to US$29.40. The biggest value gainers were diversified miner Teck Cominco, up US$5.18 to US$71.30, and diversified mining giant Rio Tinto, ahead US$3.61 to US$212.50.

Teck Cominco is pushing hard to acquire nickel giant Inco, but so far at least, Inco appears to favour a buyout from Phelps Dodge, one of the world’s largest producers of copper and molybdenum. Some of Phelps’ institutional shareholders aren’t as keen about the proposed deal, which they view as dilutive. Phelps’ shares slipped US39 to US$86.95.

Silver companies fared well in recent trading, reflecting the bullish outlook for the white metal. Coeur d’Alene Mines appears to be recovering from the bout of uncertainty that battered its shares and cast doubts about the fate of its San Cristobal silver project in Bolivia. President Evo Morales had threatened to nationalize natural resources in the South American nation. Coeur was up US55 to close at US$5.33.

Pan American Silver, which has silver projects in Bolivia, and many other places around the world, rebounded as well, up US$2.16 to close at US$21.12.

Newmont Mining added US$1.37 to its share price to close at US$52.60. The company is always a good barometer of gold markets because of its strict no-hedging policy.

Grand Central Silver was the largest percentage gainer — albeit on negligible volume — posting a 72.2% gain to US$1.55 from US85 over the report period. The company has not issued any updates from its previously reported (2004) “gold discovery” near the Bingham Canyon copper mine in Utah. Another pink-sheet company, Central Minera, was up 25% to a nickel from US0.025, though it too has issued little news about its recent activities. The company’s predecessor, Delgratia Mining, crashed and burned after its Nevada “gold discovery” was debunked because of alleged salting.

U.S. greatest percentage change

		VOLUME(000s)	HIGH	LOW	CLOSE	CHANGE
Grand Cen Sil*	GSLM	83	1.56	0.85	1.55	+72.2
Commerce Grp*	CGCO	13	0.12	0.06	0.10	+66.6
Centrl Minera*	CENMF	55	0.05	0.025	0.05	+25.0
Pine Valley M*	PVMCF	287	1.00	0.78	0.96	+23.0
Minco Mng&Mtl*	MMK	197	1.74	1.17	1.45	+20.8
Quest Capital*	QCC	117	3.00	2.49	2.97	+19.2
Madison Minls*	MMRSF	182	0.31	0.25	0.298	+19.2
El Capitan Pr*	ECPN	1280	2.02	1.36	1.98	+18.5
Orezone Res*	OZN	167	1.69	1.43	1.64	+14.6
Northw Min Vt*	NWTMF	844	0.51	0.412	0.501	+13.8
Colombia Gldf*	CGDF	73	1.43	1.02	1.07	-24.6
Liberty Star*	LBTS	924	0.83	0.56	0.64	-22.8
Apolo Gold*	APLL	326	0.129	0.10	0.105	-19.2
Equitable Mng*	EQBM	1247	0.01	0.006	0.009	-18.1
McKenzie Bay*	MKBY	542	0.28	0.221	0.223	-14.2
Lafayette Mng*	LYMGF	65	0.09	0.06	0.06	-14.2
Global Gold*	GBGD	44	1.98	1.62	1.70	-14.1
Caledonia Mng*	CALVF	4375	0.13	0.11	0.112	-12.5
Petaquilla Mn*	PTQMF	599	2.55	2.127	2.30	-11.2
Michigan Gold*	MGGV	462	0.039	0.025	0.027	-10.0

U.S. greatest value change

		VOLUME	CLOSE	CHANGE
Teck Comin B*	TCK	316900	71.30	+5.18
Rio Tinto*	RTP	1779500	212.50	+3.61
Lihir Gold*	LIHRY	145954	46.29	+3.14
OM Group*	OMG	2503700	37.50	+2.38
ASA (Bermuda)*	ASA	516300	64.03	+2.32
Pan Am Silver*	PAAS	4867452	21.12	+2.16
Alpha Nat Res*	ANR	4699000	18.09	+1.92
AngloGold Ash*	AU	3874400	50.49	+1.90
Yanzhou Coal*	YZC	100700	37.06	+1.61
Freeport McMo*	FCX	13674400	56.00	+1.44
Southern Peru*	PCU	4187900	91.96	-4.54
Soc Quim&M Ch*	SQM	102900	105.12	-2.39
Cabot Corp*	CBT	2572700	30.98	-2.29
Potash C Sask*	POT	2199700	92.59	-1.91
CONSOL Energy*	CNX	8453400	39.97	-1.19
Peabody Enrgy*	BTU	13776000	49.25	-0.59
Cameco Corp*	CCJ	3946500	39.33	-0.57
US Gold*	USGL	620125	7.31	-0.54
Westmoreland*	WLB	86500	23.70	-0.41
Alcoa*	AA	19008100	29.40	-0.40

U.S. most active issues

		VOLUME(000s)	HIGH	LOW	CLOSE	CHANGE
UNICO Inc*	UNCN	591015	0.002	0.001	0.001	0.00
AuGrid*	AUGC	236924	0.00	1.0E8	0.00	0.00
Goldspring*	GSPG	25664	0.011	0.009	0.01	0.00
CVRD*	RIO	22171	24.46	22.52	23.65	+0.45
Alcoa*	AA	19008	30.32	28.95	29.40	-0.40
Coeur d Alene*	CDE	18797	5.52	4.81	5.33	+0.55
Barrick Gold*	ABX	15194	32.88	30.50	32.17	+1.37
Phelps Dodge*	PD	14849	88.57	84.66	86.95	-0.39
Newmont Mng*	NEM	14576	53.56	50.54	52.60	+1.37
Peabody Enrgy*	BTU	13776	53.02	48.43	49.25	-0.59