TSX Venture Exchange August 26–29

In another tentative sign that the market is picking up, the S&P-TSX Venture Composite Index posted four small gains over the truncated Aug. 26-29 trading week to close up 43.63 points at 1,983.64. Trading volumes were moderate, averaging out at 50 million.

The number of companies sinking to new share price lows — 303 — still dwarfed the number that managed to rise to new highs, only 6.

Century Mining was the most-traded stock of the week, moving 13.5 million shares to close up a penny at 5. In June, the company “temporarily” stopped production at its Sigma-Lamaque gold mine in Quebec, with the intent to restart after raising capital through financings. The financings have, however, fallen through and Century was forced to start the week by terminating its option to purchase an operating gold and silver mine in Peru. The Washington state-based company also owns the producing San Juan gold mine in Peru but has seen its share price plummet from $1 a year ago.

KWG Resources was another share mover, trading 10.7 million shares over the week to close unchanged at 4. The junior recently spun out its diamond exploration interests into a subsidiary called Debuts Diamonds and this week KWG announced the recovery of 0.54 carat of diamond from a 1,170-kg sample from the Mac-Fadyen project, in northern Ontario, suggesting an indicated diamond content of 45.15 carats per 100 tons for the Good Friday kimberlite.

The first assays result from Hathor Exploration’s summer drill program at the Midwest Northeast uranium project in Saskatchewan propelled Hathor’s share price up $1.02 over the week to close at $4.37, a new high for the junior. The richest half-metre intercept came in at 58.2% U₃O₈.

Despite releasing no news, Pacific Booker Minerals enjoyed a 62-lift over the week to close at $6.72. The junior is developing the Morrison copper-gold-molybdenum porphyry deposit into an open-pit mine. Similarly, Titanium Corp. gained 27 to close at 80 on no news.

Interim financial statements were kind to some share prices and less benevolent to others. Chesapeake Gold gained 51 to $6.49, Kodiak Exploration rose 45 to $1.88 and Fancamp Exploration added 43 to reach $1.85. Meanwhile, Geologix Explorations lost 23 to $1.36, International Barytex fell 16 to 46, and KeeganResources dropped 11 to $2.34.

Goldsource Mines, still hard at work drilling for more coal in Saskatchewan, lost another 37 to close the week as $4.43. Sidon International Resources gained a penny on news of comfort letters from the Saskatchewan government assuring the junior of priority status on all of its coal permit applications. North American Gem, another area player, gained 6 to close at 22 on no news.

TSX-V most active issues

TSX-V greatest percentage change

TSX-V greatest value change

		VOLUME	WEEK
		(000s)	HIGH	LOW	CLOSE	CHANGE
Century Mining	CMM	13524	0.07	0.03	0.05	+ 0.01
KWG Res	KWG	10718	0.05	0.04	0.04	0.00
Glass Earth	GEL	8050	0.06	0.04	0.05	-0.02
Hathor Expl	HAT	5939	4.40	3.30	4.37	+ 1.02
Sidon Intl Res	SD	5748	0.12	0.09	0.09	+ 0.01
Gold Hawk Res	CGK	5598	0.08	0.06	0.07	0.00
North Am Gem	NAG	4966	0.23	0.17	0.22	+ 0.06
Arctic Star Di	ADD	4197	0.12	0.09	0.11	+ 0.01
Largo Res	LGO	4040	0.51	0.43	0.44	-0.06

		VOLUME	WEEK
		(000s)	HIGH	LOW	CLOSE	CHANGE
African Metals	AFR	39	0.21	0.20	0.21	+ 90.9
Cascadia Intl	CJ	189	0.11	0.05	0.11	+ 83.3
Solomon Res	SRB	49	0.13	0.09	0.13	+ 62.5
Peat Res	PET	68	0.25	0.19	0.25	+ 56.2
Currie Rose Rs	CUI	395	0.17	0.10	0.17	+ 54.5
Bellhaven Cp&G	BHV	495	0.43	0.25	0.43	+ 53.5
Titanium Corp	TIC	198	0.82	0.52	0.80	+ 50.9
Gee-Ten Vent	GTV	71	0.06	0.05	0.06	+ 50.0
Lucky Stk Res	LKY	56	0.09	0.06	0.09	+ 50.0
Arcturus Res	AZN	25	0.06	0.06	0.06	+ 50.0
Horseshoe Gld	HSX	203	0.04	0.01	0.01	-66.6
Pac Comox	PCM	337	0.05	0.03	0.05	-54.5
Richmond Mnls	RMD	97	0.05	0.04	0.05	-50.0
Dot Res	DOT	183	0.05	0.01	0.04	-50.0
Azteca Gold	AZG	91	0.05	0.04	0.04	-42.8
Intl Wayside G	WGM	1349	0.05	0.01	0.04	-42.8
Brigadier Gold	BRG	280	0.05	0.04	0.04	-42.8
Dynasty Gold	DYG	137	0.03	0.01	0.03	-40.0
Adroit Res	ADT	24	0.14	0.11	0.11	-38.8
Northern Tiger	NTR	14	0.20	0.16	0.16	-38.4

WEEK
		VOLUME	CLOSE	CHANGE
Hathor Expl	HAT	5939380	4.37	+ 1.02
Pac Booker Min	BKM	16741	6.72	+ 0.62
Chesapeake Gld	CKG	16023	6.49	+ 0.51
Kodiak Expl	KXL	1230457	1.88	+ 0.45
Fancamp Expl	FNC	250988	1.85	+ 0.43
Contintl Mnls	KMK	353339	1.00	+ 0.30
Titanium Corp	TIC	197900	0.80	+ 0.27
Energold Drill	EGD	259858	3.45	+ 0.25
Asian Minl Res	ASN	128900	0.95	+ 0.23
Goldsource Min	GXS	121435	4.43	-0.37
Geologix Ex	GIX	74895	1.36	-0.23
SouthGobi Engy	SGQ	87050	14.97	-0.23
Rockgate Cap	RGT	193617	0.63	-0.22
Mansfld Mnrls	MDR	377830	0.91	-0.20
Intl Barytex	IBX	10500	0.46	-0.16
Condor Res	CN	66830	0.47	-0.15
Keegan Res	KGN	59222	2.34	-0.11
Svit Gold	SDP	100020	0.35	-0.11
New Pac Metals	NUX	128531	1.50	-0.10