Markets rise amid jump in U.S. retail sales

NEW YORK–U.S. stock futures crept higher Monday as investors returning from a long holiday weekend were heartened by good news on retail sales.

Overseas markets were also higher. The dollar weakened against other currencies, giving commodities prices a boost. Bond prices fell.

The TSX in Toronto was closed for the statutory holiday.

Data released Monday showed shoppers opened their wallets more this season, a good sign that consumers are feeling better about the economy.

Figures from MasterCard Advisors' SpendingPulse, which track all forms of payment, show retail sales rose 3.6 per cent from Nov. 1 through Dec. 24, compared with a 2.3 per cent drop a year ago. Adjusting for an extra shopping day between Thanksgiving and Christmas, the number was closer to a 1 per cent gain.

Consumer spending is one of the biggest drivers of economic growth and is vital to a sustained recovery.

Investors will also be keeping a close eye on airline stocks after a failed attack on a Northwest flight on Christmas Day. Another incident on the same flight to Detroit from Amsterdam on Sunday raised further alarm.

Shares of Delta Air Lines Inc., which owns Northwest, slipped 14 cents to $11.63 (U.S.) in premarket trading. UAL Corp., which operates United Airlines, fell 39 cents, or 3 per cent, to $12.70.

Stocks are currently at their highest levels of the year, and in the absence of any bad news, analysts say the market is likely to drift higher during the final days of 2009. Trading volume has been extremely light due to the holidays, which can exaggerate price swings. Markets were closed on Friday for Christmas and will be closed again this Friday for New Year's Day.

Ahead of the market's open, Dow Jones industrial average futures rose 9, or 0.1 per cent, to 10,475. Standard&Poor's 500 index futures gained 2.40, or 0.2 per cent, to 1,124.40, and Nasdaq 100 index futures rose 4.0, or 0.2 per cent, to 1,872.

Overseas, Japan's Nikkei stock average rose 1.3 per cent to its highest close since late August, boosted by encouraging news on factory production. In afternoon trading, Germany's DAX index rose 0.7 per cent, while France's CAC-40 rose 0.8 per cent. Britain's FTSE 100 was closed for a holiday.

Bond prices fell. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note, which moves opposite its price, rose to 3.83 per cent from 3.80 per cent Thursday.

Commodities prices rose as the dollar fell. Commodities are priced in U.S. dollars, so when the greenback is weak they become more attractive to foreign buyers.

The ICE Futures U.S. dollar index, which measures the dollar against other major currencies, slipped 0.2 per cent. Oil prices gained 45 cents to $78.50 a barrel in electronic premarket trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Gold prices also rose.

Major stock indexes ended a holiday-shortened session Thursday at new 2009 highs following upbeat reports on unemployment and durable goods orders. This week, readings on home prices and consumer confidence are among the few economic reports expected.

Stocks have managed to grind higher this month despite lingering concerns about the economic recovery. But the gains have been more subdued than in recent months as investors have held back on taking risks heading into the end of the year. The Standard&Poor's 500 index is up 66.5 per cent since hitting 12-year lows in March.

Canasia Commences Bulk Sample Operations on Clone Gold Discovery

December 23, 2009

Canasia Commences Bulk Sample Operations on Clone Gold Discovery
Canasia Industries Corporation ("CAJ") wishes to announce that it has been notified by its partner that the application has been completed for an initial bulk sample operation on the Clone Gold Prospect. The Clone Gold Prospect in Stewart BC, recently returned grades as high as 44.75 g/t over 12.8 metres (announced October 22, 2009). Approximately ten tons of samples have been gathered to date and were shipped for processing.

Negar Towfigh, President of Canasia stated, "The results for the 2009 drill program on the Clone were the best that Canasia has drilled to date and the drilling was near surface. This initial bulk sample may assist Canasia in further defining the size of the potential deposit and it may also aid in possibly generating initial revenue from the Clone Prospect. Canasia plans to conduct a larger drill program in 2010 on the Clone Prospect, than it did in 2009, due to the results achieved this past drill season. We are continuing operations on the Clone and we also anticipate being active on multiple other prospects in early 2010.

If you would like to be added to Canasia's news distribution list, please send your email address to info@canasiaind.com

Canasia Industries has a well diversified portfolio of prospects. Canasia's current prospects include the following: (a) The Clone Gold prospect in Stewart, BC, that has recently returned grades as high as 44.75 g/t Ag over 12.80 metres (announced October 22,2009); (b) The Debut Gold prospect in NE Nevada where Kinross Gold is now actively drilling; (c) 55,300 contiguous acres at Reed Lake, Manitoba; (d) 450,000 contiguous acres of Potash claims, bordering Alberta and Saskatchewan; (e) 130,500 acres prospective for Coal in SE Saskatchewan; (f) 180,000 acres prospective for Lithium in Alberta; (g) and three mineral claims covering an area of approximately 31,602 hectares, located north and northwest of the El Oro -- Tlalpujahua Gold/Silver belt in the states of Guanajuato and Michoacan Mexico.

Contact Information
Tel: 1 (877) 225-6755
Fax: 1(604) 689-1733
www.canasiaind.com
info@canasiaind.com

Pescod Picks:Bankers and Asia Mining = The Home Run For 2009

EAST ASIA MINERALS (V-EAS)

EAST ASIA MINERALS (V-EAS)

Once upon a time, particularly way back when East Asia

Minerals was just yours for a couple of quarters, the Coffin

Brothers were about the only people out there that had

heard of East Asia and was following their story. Now, sud-

denly analysts are starting to take a look at this story as its

size is getting to a point where it can’t be ignored.

So what are the Coffin Brothers saying now? Well, this is

from Sunday’s Hard Rock Analyst…“Drill hole EDM014 test-

ing further north and uphill from most past drilling that re-

turned 101 metres of 1.38 g/t gold that included 58 m of 1.95

g/t. This is in keeping with the established pattern, but con-

firming the breadth of the system is still important. More

speculative but potentially much more interesting was a sec-

ond release indicating that surface sampling in the Moon

River area has returned significant gold values of up to 1.76

g/t. This is the area north and on the other side of the hill

from the main Miwah zone, and appears to be its extension.

This sampling would at least double the scale of the main

Miwah mineralization, and given gold grade runs to within

100 metres of the intervening peak this could be treated as a

single large deposit with a small cap of waste rock. Drilling

is needed to properly assess the Moon River results, but

since the project already has starter zone material outlined

the Moon Rivers extension needs only viable grade to be

accretive. Since geophysics indicates that in the system

may continue all the way to the Sipokok showings a further

1.5 km to the north, it is possible that Miwah may go from

the “big” to the truly “world class” scale that would garner

interest from all of the gold majors…”

COXE COMMODITY FUND

Don Coxe’s Commodity Fund is still significantly dis-

counted to where it was issued some time ago, but the

popular commentator is certainly doing a lot better than six

to eight months ago...like a lot of things.

His latest comments from the December, 2009 Basic

Points he makes the following observations: 1) Remain

underweighted in US equities. 2) Overweight Emerging

Markets such as China, Hong Kong, Brazil, India and Ko-

rea. 3) Remain overweight commodity stocks. 4) Empha-

size gold stocks in commodity stock accounts. 5) Con-

tinue to overweight the agriculture stock. 6) Maintain ex-

posure to energy stocks, but continue to emphasize oil

producers and to de-emphasize natural gas producers.

He writes, “Cash isn’t a true risk reducer, because it

delivers no yield and cannot rise if there’s a new panic. If

you must own something that pays you nothing, buy gold.”

His last point, “Canada offers better government, better

governance, a better currency and a better stock market

than the USA. Buy Canadian.” Interesting...

AN UPDATE WITH JOE MARTIN CAMBRIDGE HOUSE MINING COFERENCES

(As of December 18, 2009)

We used to have a lot of fun with Joe Martin because the

guy who runs the Cambridge House mining shows across

the country in places like Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver

plus down in the states as well – with his contacts with all

the best mining people, best analysts, you-name-it – we’ve

had fun with him over the year because when he picked a

stock, it never seemed to perform. Lately however, things

have changed as all of a sudden Joe has been picking

stocks that have doubled, tripled and even better. So we

have to find out what the heck is going on!

David Pescod: Joe, you are just back from a trip down

south, can you tell us a bit about it?

Joe Martin: We went down late October/early November to

Guyana and we had a look at Sandspring Resources property,

it’s been an old alluvial mining gold area there for some

years, but they have been doing a lot of drilling there and

they have proven up an ore body. We were delighted to

buy into the deal and I think it started trading about 2 ½

weeks ago at $0.30, and I believe it is up over $1.00 right

D.P: Now you’ve got big expectations because this is the

stock you are currently picking for the next year I under-

J.M: The principals who are behind it, I am very impressed

with their mining background. John Adams who made a

career with uranium mines in Wyoming is behind it. The

guy heading it is Abraham Drost out of Thunder Bay. They

have a great line up of talent there and I understand there

are more things coming. I understand there are lots of peo-

ple looking at the project and I believe the concept of this

project is not to get into mining, but to prove up the ore

body and sell it off to a large company.

D.P: There is lots of speculation about just how many

ounces they might have. What would you feel safe talking

about at this point?

J.M: Around four or five million ounces.

D.P: Wow! So you are not being shy about this at all! Are

you saying this is another Martin pick that will be a double

or triple?

J.M: Yes it is.

D.P: We’ve been through cycles before and you’ve seen

more cycles than most people. Lots of people talking

about gold these days, people who never would have

talked about it before. We are wondering if this isn’t just

another bubble like high-tech, real estate, oil or whatever

we’ve gone through in the last decade. How long can you

see gold going and how high?

J.M: I am not an analyst or anything David, what I see is

the return of a number of companies that are financing

and participating in our conferences.

Our business

dropped about 55% from 2008 into 2009, but we are seeing

a turn around right here as we go into 2010. We are pretty

much sold out for our January conference. I see a lot of

financings and really, really good bargains. The other

thing I am seeing is the juniors are quick to step in wher-

ever there is a void and the rare earth metals are certainly

hot right now. I think gold has gone beyond being a sup-

ply/demand situation. It’s gone into its own currency level

now.

D.P: Just how high can you see gold going. But once

again, we want to corner you with the question – is this

something that will last six months, 12 months, or does it

go for two or three years?

J.M: I think the gold play is here for several years. Gold,

silver and precious metals and I wouldn’t predict a price,

but sure, I follow Jim Rogers as it will hit $2000 an ounce

sometime. Maybe not next year, but probably the year

after. I just don’t see it dropping right now.

D.P: A lot of people know about the Cambridge House

shows, but for those that have never followed junior min-

ing stories before, you next show in Vancouver is having

a bit of a problem because of the Olympics games and all

that. You are now set up in an interesting way…can you

explain?

J.M: Yes, we cannot get the Convention Center. We have

first right of refusal on those times except from the owner,

which is the Government of BC. I believe last September

they have shut the Convention Center down to be ready

for the Olympics. So we are using the Fairmont Hotel

(Vancouver) and the Hyatt Regency and we are going to

have people walk back and forth between the two hotels.

Leaders TSX TSX-v And Nasdaq

VOLUME LEADERS

Symbol Name Last Trade Change Volume Related Info XIU.TO ISHARES CDN S&P/TSX 60 IDX F 17.21 2:59PM EST 0.04 (0.23%) 10,065,312 More HTE-UN.TO HARVEST ENERGY TR TRUST UNITS 9.99 2:58PM EST 0.05 (0.50%) 4,239,906 Reports, More ELD.TO ELDORADO GOLD CORP COM NPV 14.24 3:00PM EST 0.09 (0.63%) 4,147,162 Reports, More HNU.TO HORIZONS BETAPRO NYMEX 12.31 2:58PM EST 0.59 (4.57%) 3,902,028 More HND.TO HORIZONS BETAPRO NYMEX 4.93 2:54PM EST 0.22 (4.67%) 3,900,707 Reports, More YRI.TO YAMANA GOLD INC COM NPV 11.90 2:59PM EST 0.39 (3.17%) 3,607,706 Reports, More MFC.TO MANULIFE FINL CORP COM NPV 18.90 2:59PM EST 0.15 (0.80%) 3,022,681 Reports, More HOU.TO HORIZONS NYMEX Crude Oil Bull P 8.07 2:59PM EST 0.12 (1.47%) 2,826,715 More HBM.TO HUDBAY MINERALS IN COM NPV 12.47 3:00PM EST 0.36 (2.81%) 2,626,103 Reports, More HGU.TO HORIZONS BETAPRO S UNITS CLASS 11.96 2:58PM EST 0.56 (4.47%) 2,576,554 More RCI-B.TO ROGERS COMMUNICATIONS INC. CL B 31.89 2:59PM EST 0.70 (2.24%) 2,572,615 Reports, More ABX.TO BARRICK GOLD CORP COM NPV 41.11 2:59PM EST 0.39 (0.94%) 2,408,648 Reports, More SU.TO Suncor Energy 35.85 3:00PM EST 0.10 (0.28%) 2,397,296 Reports, More G.TO GOLDCORP INC COM NPV 40.51 3:00PM EST 0.49 (1.22%) 2,308,192 Reports, More RY.TO ROYAL BANK OF CANADA COM NPV 55.61 3:00PM EST 0.80 (1.46%) 2,287,367 Reports, More K.TO KINROSS GOLD CORP 19.00 3:00PM EST 0.17 (0.89%) 2,237,148 Reports, More HGD.TO HORIZONS BETA PRO S&P/TSX BEAR 4.76 3:00PM EST 0.21 (4.62%) 2,083,328 More EBR.TO EMBER RESOURCES IN COM NPV 0.85 2:12PM EST 0.00 (0.00%) 2,073,311 Reports, More BBD-B.TO BOMBARDIER INC CLASS'B'S/VTG NP 4.79 2:59PM EST 0.03 (0.63%) 2,016,459 Reports, More TCK-B.TO TECK COMINCO LIMITED CL B SV 39.71 3:00PM EST 0.90 (2.32%) 1,997,770 Reports, More SLW.TO SILVER WHEATON COR COM NPV 15.77 2:57PM EST 0.42 (2.59%) 1,948,005 Reports, More GSC.TO GOLDEN STAR RES COM NPV 3.22 3:00PM EST 0.19 (5.57%) 1,914,866 Reports, More UUU.TO Uranium One Inc 2.99 3:00PM EST 0.11 (3.82%) 1,909,503 Reports, More GBU.TO GABRIEL RESOURCES COM NPV 4.31 3:00PM EST 0.14 (3.15%) 1,843,444 Reports, More WTN.TO WESTERN COAL CORP 3.15 2:59PM EST 0.06 (1.87%) 1,819,668 Reports, More

VOLUME LEADERS Symbol Name Last Trade Change Volume Related Info MDG.V MEDICAGO INC. (Tier2) 0.67 2:57PM EST 0.11 (14.10%) 3,480,052 Reports, More AVT.V AVANTI MINING INC (Tier1) 0.19 12:55PM EST 0.02 (9.52%) 3,305,500 Reports, More MMT.V MART RESOURCES INC. (Tier2) 0.105 11:39AM EST 0.005 (4.55%) 3,202,600 Reports, More EXS.V EXPLOR RESOURCES INC. (Tier2) 0.95 2:57PM EST 0.11 (13.10%) 2,983,015 Reports, More GLW.V GOLD WHEATON GOLD CORP (Tier1) 0.355 2:58PM EST 0.005 (1.43%) 2,179,424 More ALE.V ALANGE ENERGY CORP (Tier2) 0.56 2:55PM EST 0.03 (5.66%) 2,105,940 Reports, More AVR.V AVION GOLD CORPORATION (Tier2) 0.485 2:38PM EST 0.005 (1.04%) 1,779,200 Reports, More SMI.V SATURN MINERALS INC. (Tier2) 0.145 2:30PM EST 0.015 (9.38%) 1,740,886 Reports, More RTE.V RESULT ENERGY INC. (Tier1) 0.42 2:46PM EST 0.04 (8.70%) 1,740,718 Reports, More CLQ.V CANADA LITHIUM CORP (Tier2) 0.43 2:55PM EST 0.03 (7.50%) 1,698,713 Reports, More TIC.V TITANIUM CORPORATION INC. (Tier 0.59 1:28PM EST 0.04 (7.27%) 1,620,233 Reports, More OCP-H.V OCEAN PARK VENTURES CORP 0.64 1:58PM EST 0.29 (82.86%) 1,526,606 More TRX.V TERRANE METALS CORP (Tier1) 1.57 2:59PM EST 0.15 (8.72%) 1,438,045 Reports, More CMM.V CENTURY MINING CORPORATION (Tie 0.355 2:54PM EST 0.01 (2.90%) 1,429,347 Reports, More AEX.V APPLETON EXPLORATION INC (Tier2 0.205 2:51PM EST 0.02 (8.89%) 1,237,600 More SDP.V SVIT GOLD CORP (Tier2) 0.20 2:57PM EST 0.025 (14.29%) 1,190,000 More R.V ROMARCO MINERALS INC. (Tier2) 1.34 2:54PM EST 0.20 (17.54%) 1,167,411 Reports, More MAT.V MATAMEC EXPLORATIONS INC. (Tier 0.185 2:45PM EST 0.005 (2.63%) 1,127,650 Reports, More SGR.V SAN GOLD CORPORATION (Tier1) 3.34 2:54PM EST 0.04 (1.21%) 1,050,208 Reports, More GNH.V GOLDEN HOPE MINES LIMITED (Tier 0.20 2:48PM EST 0.03 (17.65%) 940,600 Reports, More MRS.V MEDORO RESOURCES LTD (Tier1) 0.47 1:40PM EST 0.025 (5.05%) 931,816 Reports, More NGG.V NEW GUINEA GOLD CORPORATION (Ti 0.11 2:25PM EST 0.01 (8.33%) 866,500 Reports, More DRV.V DURAN VENTURES INC. (Tier2) 0.145 1:12PM EST 0.005 (3.33%) 866,140 Reports, More CNE.V CANACOL ENERGY LTD (Tier1) 0.53 2:28PM EST 0.00 (0.00%) 841,896 Reports, More PTA.V PETROAMERICA OIL CORP (Tier2) 0.59 2:37PM EST 0.01 (1.67%) 823,290 Reports, More NASDAQ VOLUME LEADERS

Symbol Name Last Trade Change Volume Related Info QQQQ PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fun 45.04 2:58PM EST 0.58 (1.30%) 60,169,724 Profile, Reports, More INTC Intel Corporation 20.10 2:59PM EST 0.47 (2.39%) 45,057,855 Profile, Reports, More ETFC E*TRADE Financial Corporation 1.74 2:59PM EST 0.04 (2.25%) 38,483,090 Profile, Reports, More MSFT Microsoft Corporation 30.6127 2:59PM EST 0.2527 (0.83%) 31,137,302 Profile, Reports, More CSCO Cisco Systems, Inc. 23.67 2:59PM EST 0.34 (1.46%) 29,589,645 Profile, Reports, More DELL Dell Inc. 14.17 2:59PM EST 0.43 (3.13%) 22,826,370 Profile, Reports, More ORCL Oracle Corporation 24.435 2:59PM EST 0.095 (0.39%) 20,637,630 Profile, Reports, More AAPL Apple Inc. 198.866 2:59PM EST 3.436 (1.76%) 19,249,306 Profile, Reports, More RIMM Research In Motion Limited 69.65 2:59PM EST 0.35 (0.50%) 17,187,467 Reports, More NWSA News Corporation 13.78 2:59PM EST 0.43 (3.22%) 14,495,866 Profile, Reports, More PALM Palm, Inc. 10.66 2:59PM EST 0.49 (4.82%) 13,895,947 Profile, Reports, More YHOO Yahoo! Inc. 15.895 2:59PM EST 0.245 (1.52%) 12,621,745 Profile, Reports, More JASO JA Solar Holdings, Co., Ltd. 6.2099 2:59PM EST 0.4799 (8.38%) 12,341,721 Profile, Reports, More JAVA Sun Microsystems, Inc. 9.35 2:58PM EST 0.02 (0.21%) 10,811,546 Profile, Reports, More FITB Fifth Third Bancorp 10.11 2:59PM EST 0.29 (2.95%) 10,675,102 Profile, Reports, More SNDK SanDisk Corporation 26.72 2:58PM EST 1.64 (6.54%) 10,481,481 Profile, Reports, More LVLT Level 3 Communications, Inc. 1.45 2:58PM EST 0.02 (1.36%) 9,551,270 Profile, Reports, More CHTT Chattem, Inc. 93.09 2:59PM EST 23.11 (33.02%) 9,392,346 Profile, Reports, More DRYS DryShips Inc. 6.00 2:59PM EST 0.02 (0.33%) 9,337,235 Profile, Reports, More QCOM QUALCOMM Incorporated 45.53 2:58PM EST 0.96 (2.15%) 8,968,764 Profile, Reports, More CTIC Cell Therapeutics, Inc. 1.17 2:58PM EST 0.03 (2.63%) 8,948,754 Profile, Reports, More AMAT Applied Materials, Inc. 13.845 2:59PM EST 0.225 (1.65%) 8,802,331 Profile, Reports, More SBUX Starbucks Corporation 23.105 2:59PM EST 0.575 (2.43%) 8,613,188 Profile, Reports, More CMCSK Comcast Corporation 16.60 2:59PM EST 0.11 (0.67%) 8,026,175 Reports, More NVDA NVIDIA Corporation 17.42 2:59PM EST 0.60 (3.57%) 7,931,033 Profile, Reports, More