Toronto Stock Exchange – SEPT. 29 -OCT. 5

The S&P/TSX composite index fell 2% over the Sept. 29-Oct. 5 reporting period, shedding 236.1 points to close at 11,102.62. This sudden dip came after some of the strongest quarterly advances the index has seen in a decade. The index gained 9.8% over the third quarter but at the same time, joblessness south of the border rose to 9.8% — a 26-year high.

The Capped Metals and Mining index also fell. It closed down 1.4%, or 12.24 points, at 860.98. The Global Gold index posted a gain of 1.2%, or 3.95 points, to close at 329.53.

Ventana Gold was the top gainer by value over the period, rising 52%, after reporting some of the best drill results so far from the La Mascota epithermal gold deposit at the La Bodega project, in Colombia. Hole 143 returned 84 metres grading 13.66 grams gold per tonne starting at 239 metres depth. The true width of the intercept is about 42 metres — the best true width intercept so far. Ventana shares rose $2.92 to close at $8.52 per share. The company has just begun a scoping study on the project.

Gammon Gold shares were up a dollar to finish the period at $9.38 a share. The company has renewed its Penoles lease agreement for an additional three-year term, giving Gammon the mining rights and use of the Las Torres processing and administration facilities at the El Cubo mine in Guanajuato, Mexico. Gammon has also increased production to a seven-day, round-the-clock schedule at El Cubo.

Fertilizer makers Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan and Agrium were on the other end of the list, leading the losses for the period. Potash Corp. shares were down $7.67 to close at $91.61, while Agrium shares dropped $3.41 to close at $50.70.

Stingray Copper shares went up about 77% over the period to 69¢ after a announcing it will merge with Mercator Minerals. Mercator will exchange 0.25 of one of its own shares for each Stingray share. Mercator owns the Mineral Park open-pit copper-moly mine 120 km southeast of Las Vegas.

The merger will allow Stingray to advance its El Pilar copper project in northern Mexico thanks to the new source of internally generated cash flow, debt and equity.

International Wayside Gold made news with some drilling at the Bonanza Ledge on Barkersville Mountain in British Columbia. Highlights include 51.5 metres grading 7.17 grams gold per tonne, 24.4 metres of 5.39 grams gold and 24.4 metres at 1.14 grams gold.

Lundin Mining was the volume leader for the period with 44.3 million shares changing hands, but the miner’s share price neither increased nor decreased, holding steady at $3.62.

Yamana Gold was in the No. 2 spot with 36.4 million shares traded, closing up 21¢ at $11.20. The company held an official inauguration ceremony for its Gualcamayo gold mine in San Juan, Argentina.

TSX most active issues
		VOLUME	WEEK
		(000s)	HIGH	LOW	CLOSE	CHANGE
Lundin Mng	LUN	44295	3.69	3.25	3.62	0.00
Yamana Gold	YRI	36483	11.58	10.83	11.20	+ 0.21
Breakwater Res	BWR	30454	0.32	0.28	0.29	+ 0.03
Equinox Minls	EQN	25050	3.49	3.01	3.12	-0.08
KinrossGold	K	21894	23.89	22.02	22.61	+0.26
Barrick Gold	ABX	20343	41.15	38.72	39.67	+ 0.13
Eldorado Gold	ELD	19954	12.39	11.35	11.65	-0.04
New Gold	NGD	19770	4.17	3.61	4.16	+ 0.50
HoriznsGBull	HGU	19339	13.03	11.60	12.30	+ 0.29
Mercator Mnls	ML	18289	2.97	2.62	2.85	+ 0.05

TSX greatest percentage change
		VOLUME	WEEK
		(000s)	HIGH	LOW	CLOSE	CHANGE
Diamond Fields	DFI	1406	0.10	0.06	0.09	+ 80.0
Stingray Coppr	SRY	4924	0.70	0.41	0.69	+ 76.9
Richview Res	RVR	6592	0.06	0.02	0.05	+ 66.6
Ventana Gold	VEN	6730	8.52	5.40	8.52	+ 52.1
Duluth Metals	DM	2282	1.34	0.60	0.95	+ 50.7
Wallbridge Mng	WM	865	0.19	0.12	0.18	+ 50.0
Linear Metals	LRM	454	0.32	0.18	0.31	+ 34.7
Colombia Goldf	GOL	1713	0.25	0.18	0.24	+ 33.3
Niocan Inc	NIO	152	0.50	0.38	0.50	+ 31.5
Yukon-Nev Gold	YNG	3829	0.18	0.12	0.17	+ 30.7
Copper Mesa	CUX	349	0.03	0.01	0.01	-50.0
Arehada Mining	AHD	51	0.20	0.14	0.15	-34.7
Starfield Res	SRU	7371	0.17	0.12	0.12	-25.0
Crew Gold	CRU	253	0.53	0.43	0.44	-22.8
Moydow Mns Int	MOY	62	0.16	0.14	0.14	-22.2
Stornoway Diam	SWY	5907	0.24	0.17	0.20	-16.6
Peregrine Diam	PGD	16887	3.83	2.40	2.88	-15.2
Strateco Res	RSC	1349	0.97	0.78	0.79	-14.1
Denison Mines	DML	16886	2.14	1.67	1.84	-14.0
Sierra Minls	SIM	429	0.28	0.20	0.25	-13.7

TSX greatest value change
WEEK
		VOLUME	CLOSE	CHANGE
Ventana Gold	VEN	6729977	8.52	+ 2.92
Coeur d Alene	CDM	181148	21.60	+ 1.31
Agnico-Eagle	AEM	4246621	71.26	+ 1.29 < /td>
IShCOMEXGTr	IGT	24054	106.85	+ 1.18
Golden Mnls	AUM	62760	7.05	+ 1.06
Gammon Gold	GAM	4123443	9.38	+ 1.00
Colossus Minls	CSI	14050434	5.80	+ 0.95
Labdr I-Ore Ro	LIF_U	288537	37.80	+ 0.71
Silver Wheaton	SLW	13199493	13.44	+ 0.57
New Gold	NGD	19769744	4.16	+ 0.50
Potash Cp Sask	POT	4864576	91.61	-7.67
Agrium	AGU	3221947	50.70	-3.41
First Quantum	FM	2792947	66.62	-2.24
Cameco Corp	CCO	5170504	29.12	-1.05
Teck B	TCKB	17415009	28.80	-0.67
Peregrine Diam	PGD	16887003	2.88	-0.52
Red Back Mng	RBI	11635417	11.30	-0.45
Teck A	TCKA	13370	29.27	-0.41
Major Drilling	MDI	477244	21.63	-0.37
Athabasca Pota	API	617074	5.80	-0.35