Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold's optimism about copper and molybdenum markets has prompted the company to undertake several major development projects including re-starts of mines shuttered or projects shelved since 2008

Free cash flow for the first quarter - operating cash flow less capital expenditure - was USD 1.6bn, a huge turnaround from the negative USD 771m posted for the first quarter of 2009.

Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold CEO Richard Adkerson says the strong performance of copper in the market place last year and the economic growth in China have created an encouraging outlook for copper this year.

Toronto's main market rose Friday afternoon on positive US jobs data, despite the fact that Canada's economy saw far worse than expected job figures.

Macusani Yellowcake (CVE:YEL) said Friday it was buying Southern Andes Energy (CVE:SUR) for about $10.1 million worth of stock, in a friendly bid intended to consolidate the junior uranium explorers' properties.

Strathmore Minerals (TSE:STM)(OTCQX:STHJF) shares rallied more than 10 percent Wednesday, after it said it inked a definitive deal for an US$8 million private placement financing with Korea Electric Power Corp (KEPCO) late yesterday, with the potential for up to a US$40 million joint venture.

Toronto's main market declined Tuesday as real gross domestic product fell 0.1% in November - well below expectations and the first contraction since May.

Tournigan Energy (CVE:TVC) Monday unveiled the "robust economics" of its flagship Kuriskova high-grade uranium deposit in Slovakia in a new preliminary feasibility study (PFS).