After posting nice returns earlier in the week, the Canadian markets took a well deserved rest during Friday trading. For the tale of the tape: the TSX Exchange tacked on 0.11%, while the TSX Gold Index fell 0.60%, and the TSX Venture Exchange, Canada’s largest junior exploration bourse, added 0.50% with the advancers beating out the decliners by a 415 to 373 margin on a modest 137 million shares traded.

The Canadian markets opened on a weak note but some late-stage buying helped to trim the losses during Monday’s session. For the tale of the tape, the TSX Exchange fell 0.19%, while the TSX Gold Index managed to gain 0.9% and the TSX Venture Exchange, Canada’s largest junior exploration bourse, dropped 0.54% with the decliners beating out the advancers by a 464 to 351 margin on a respectable 181 million shares traded.

Although trading was thin once again yesterday, there was obviously someone not interested in seeing the gold price do well. Twice in early trading (at least to us here in North America)…the first occurring shortly before Hong Kong closed and London opened (4:30 p.m. in Hong Kong…8:30 a.m. in London); and the second time was at 7:45 a.m. in New York, just before the Comex opened…which would be 12:45 p.m. in London…lunchtime for them. Both times gold got hit for about US$8 in a matter of minutes. Not a lot, but enough to make sure that gold finished down on the day. Whether these two smack-downs were local traders, or traders from New York entering the market on the Globex…

With the tax loss selling season now in the rear view mirror, the Canadian Markets continued to rebound during Tuesday trading. For the tale of the tape, the TSX Exchange added 2.24%, while the TSX Gold Index was the lone loser falling 2% and the TSX Venture Exchange, Canada’s largest junior exploration bourse, tacked on 4.05% with the advancing issuers beating out the decliners by a 552 to 224 margin on volume of 145 million shares traded.