After an early morning sell-off the resource-rich Canadian markets rallied hard but the junior bourse still ended the session in the red during Wednesday trading. For the tale of the tape, the TSX Exchange added 1.10%, while the TSX Gold Index dropped 2.1% and the TSX Venture Exchange, Canada’s largest junior exploration bourse, fell a modest 0.06% with the declining issuers continuing to swamp the advancers, this time by a 580 to 394 margin on volume of 138 million shares traded.

It was a good day for shareholders of Noble Metal Group (NMG) after the company’s subsidiary has entered into an exploration agreement with Cougar Minerals for the exploration of Noble’s 37,980 hectares of oil shale exploration permitted lands near Hudson Bay, Saskatchewan. Noble ended the day up C$0.035 at C$0.325.

Shares of Stornoway Diamond (SWY) bounced off the floor after the company announced that it arranged a C$22 million private placement priced at C$0.90 to Agnico Eagle Mines (AEM) and Lorito Holdings to pay off a C$20 million convertible debenture. Stornoway ended the day up C$0.07 at C$0.36, while Agnico lost C$2.63 to C$73.19.

On the drill front, Fortress Minerals (FST) hit 91.8 metres running 1.82 grams gold per tonne at its Elena target on the Svetloye project located in northeastern Russia. Fortress ended the day flat at C$1 even.

Closer to home, Full Metal Minerals (FMM) continues to tag on its LWM deposit in Eastern Alaska. The latest includes 19.9 metres running 12.5% zinc, 8.1% lead and 158.7 grams silver per tonne. Investors did not care as shares of Full Metal closed down C$0.05 at C$1.15.

Some signs of the trading life during the late stages of Wednesday trading so perhaps the worst is now behind us. Wishful thinking? We will see what Thursday trading has in store.

Source: Resource Stock Roundup Thursday July 17, 2008

It was an ugly start to the trading week as investors did an all out exodus from Canadian stocks during Monday trading. For the tale of the tape, the TSX Exchange lost 2.12%, while the TSX Gold Index fell 2.2% and the TSX Venture Exchange, Canada’s largest junior exploration bourse, plunged 3.30% with the declining issuers swamping the advancers by a 694 to 304 margin on low volume of only 150 million shares traded.