For the tale of the tape, the TSX Exchange added 1.03%, while the TSX Gold Index fell 4.1% and the TSX Venture Exchange, Canada’s largest junior exploration bourse, lost 4.73% with the declining issuers out pacing the advancers by a 650 to 266 margin on volume of 190 million shares traded.

Teck Cominco (NYSE:TCK) tabled earnings of C$432 million, or C$0.97 per share in the third quarter of 2008, compared with C$495 million, or C$1.16 per share tallied in the same period a year earlier. The bottom line was hit by lower copper and zinc prices with higher coal operating profits limiting the impact. Teck ended the day down C$1.78 at C$12.54.

Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan (NYSE:POT) saw its third quarter earnings increase five fold to C$1.24 billion, or C$3.93 per share. To put things in perspective, that exceeded the C$1.1-billion earned in the entire 2007. Potash ended the day up C$3.07 at C$85.99.

Shares of one time high-flyer Noront Resources (CVE:NOT) continued to free fall, dropping C$0.28 to close at C$0.66. The company is in the midst of a proxy fight and just tabled a positive scoping study for development of its Eagle One copper-nickel-platinum deposit in Ontario.

Augusta Resource (AMEX:AZC) tabled a new resource calculation and better metallurgy results from its Rosemont copper project in Southern Arizona. The recovery for molybdenum came in at 70-75%, silver recovery was 80-82% and copper recoveries tallied 84-86%. Augusta closed down C$0.06 at C$1.45.

New Gold produced 68,801 ounces of gold at total cash costs of $566 per ounce in the third quarter. Silver output hit 282,055 ounces and copper production was 2.37 million pounds. New Gold ended the day down C$0.45 at C$1.28.

Things could get awfully dicey for the junior exploration stocks with tax loss season drawing ever closer in a weak liquidity environment. Keep your hard hats on and we will see what Friday trading has in store.

Source: Resource Stock Roundup: Friday, October 24th, 2008

For the tale of the tape, the TSX Exchange rallied 1.2%, while the TSX Gold Index tacked on 0.8% and the TSX Venture Exchange, Canada’s largest junior exploration bourse, added 0.2% with the advancing issuers out pacing the decliners by a 561 to 491 margin on good volume of 276 million shares traded.

Kadywood Capital and FNX Mining have inked a deal that has Kadywood buying for C$400 million 50% of the contained gold, platinum and palladium metal in ore mined and shipped from multiple FNX operations in Ontario. Kadywood intends to change its name to Gold Wheaton and is looking to raise C$200 million. The company also announced a deal to purchase 100 per cent of the life-of-mine gold production from the Tulsequah Chief mine in British Columbia from Redcorp Ventures. Kadywood ended the day up C$0.31 at C$0.90, Redcorp added C$0.025 to close at C$0.23 and FNX added C$1.66 to close at C$25.11.

Potash remained hot, as evidenced by investor reaction to Alix Resources and Geo Minerals news that the pair has acquired the exclusive potash rights to a total of 84 assorted locations of freehold minerals in Saskatchewan. Geo ended the day up C$0.225 at C$0.49, while Alix added C$0.18 at C$0.50.

The junior bourse may well be heading into its traditional summer slumber but the trading volumes suggest that we could have a rather active next few months. We will see what Monday trading has in store.

Source: Resource Stock Roundup: Saturday, June 14th, 2008