Shares of the following companies were having unusual fluctuations in Canadian trading. Stock symbols are in parentheses and prices are as of 9:54 a.m. in Toronto. The Standard & Poor’s/TSX Composite Index fell 0.6 percent to 8,932.74. Canadian stock markets were closed for trading on Jan. 1 for the New Year’s Day holiday. Some gold mining shares fell after the price of the precious metal dropped for a second consecutive session in London as a decline in crude oil and a stronger dollar sapped demand for bullion as a hedge against inflation and a weaker U.S. currency. Goldcorp Inc. (G CN) dropped 1.5 percent to C$37.83. Eldorado Gold Corp. (ELD CN), the best-performing stock in the S&P/TSX last year with a 66 percent gain, fell 1.2 percent to C$9.53. FNX Mining Co. (FNX CN), the nickel and copper mining company that lost 90 percent of its value in 2008, added 6.9 percent to C$3.25 today and earlier rose 8.2 percent, the most intraday since Dec. 30. Nickel advanced to a two-month high in London on speculation index funds will buy more industrial metals this month to reflect annual re-weightings in their benchmarks. Zinc and copper also advanced. Teck Cominco Ltd. (TCK/B CN), the world’s second-largest zinc producer, added 6.2 percent to C$6.39. New Gold Inc. (NGD CN) fell 7.3 percent to C$1.64 and earlier lost 13 percent, the most intraday since Dec. 17. The gold mining company said it halted production at it Amapari mine in Brazil to preserve capital. Processing of oxide ore at Amapari is no longer cost-effective, the Vancouver-based company said in a statement distributed by Canada NewsWire. NovaGold Resources Inc. (NG CN) gained 4 percent to C$1.84 and climbed earlier to C$1.99, the highest intraday price since Dec. 19. The gold and copper mining company will raise $60 million by selling equity to Electrum Strategic Resources LLC. Western Canadian Coal Corp. (WTN CN) added 5.6 percent to 75 cents, which would be the highest closing price since Nov. 28. The operator of three mines in British Columbia agreed to lend as much as $36 million to Cambrian Mining Plc (CMB LN), which will use the funds to repay debts. Vancouver-based Western Canadian said on Dec. 24 that it agreed to acquire Cambrian for 28.8 million pounds ($42 million).

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