Worried About Your Favorite TSX Miner?

Don't worry, everyone's portfolio is  looking like your favorite ski hill... unfortunately - it's going down instead of up.

Today's articles are very real and come from credible sources - just to show you that even stocks well above $5+ which people tend to think is safe and stable... means very little. Quality juniors like TNR has bottomed out and presents a great entry point...even while Minera Andes has fallen back from $1 to $0.60 today.

Take a read at the following article and scan down the colum of average % losses across the board. 

Well known miner in Canada Teck Cominco has certainly bit off more than it can chew with a terribly timed acquisition of Fording... TCK.b is down to $5.10 today, a new one year low.

From July 2008 we see Teck confidently acquiring coal giant Fording at $12.4 billions in cash + 37 odd million shares of TCK. 

Vancouver, BC -- Teck Cominco Limited [TSX:TCK.A and TCK.B, NYSE:TCK] (“Teck”) announced today that it has entered into an agreement with Fording Canadian Coal Trust (“Fording”) under which Teck will acquire 100% of Fording’s assets, which consist principally of a royalty in respect of Fording’s 60% non-operating interest in the Elk Valley Coal Partnership (“Elk Valley Coal”).  Under the terms of the transaction, Fording unitholders will receive US$82.00 in cash and 0.245 of a Teck Class B subordinate voting share per Fording unit.  Based on the 20 day volume weighted average price of Teck Class B shares on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”), the proceeds to Fording unitholders represent a 18% premium to the 20 day volume weighted average price of Fording units on the NYSE, in each case for the period ending July 25. In aggregate, Teck will pay approximately US$12.4 billion in cash and issue approximately 36.9 million Teck Class B subordinate voting shares in consideration for the Fording assets.  The cash portion of the consideration is expected to be primarily funded by a US$9.8 billion fully underwritten bridge and term loan facility arranged with a syndicate of banks and the proceeds of the sale of Fording units held by Teck prior to closing.

A large Canadian financial newspaper, The Globa and Mail, mentioned about valuation of Fording

The Globe and Mail reports in its Thursday edition to understand the enormity of Teck's bad timing on the Fording takeover, Teck paid $12.4-billion for coal mines the market would now value at $3.5-billion. The Globe's Andrew Willis, writing in Streetwise, notes Teck's stock has dropped 83 per cent this year

Essentially, Teck has lost $9 billion in just a little over 3 months. Scary? Read on for more huge drops.

Author: Barry Sergeant
Posted:  Tuesday , 18 Nov 2008

JOHANNESBURG - 

Across the broad landscape of globally listed mining companies, silver bullion miners, developers and explorers are less wanted than anything else. Looking at 43 names listed in the category, the average stock price loss from highs, measured on a weighed basis, is currently around 83%, leaving especially the smaller stocks fully vulnerable to facing the prospect of shorter term bankruptcy.

Silver bullion itself is 56% off its highs, seen in March this year. Amid the apparent dire state of affairs for both silver bullion prices, and stocks operating in the silver space, bullish comments and forecasts remain the order of the day. This week, ScotiaMocatta insisted that in spite of poor demand outlook in the short term, the long-term outlook for precious metals remains bullish, and that "silver is well placed to outshine gold"...

...continued, click link above

Selected silver stocks
	Stock	From	From	Value
PRODUCERS	price	high*	low*	USD bn
Fresnillo	GBP 0.98	-83.0%	3.0%	1.055
Silver Wheaton	USD 2.78	-85.8%	8.6%	0.699
Pan American Silver	USD 10.04	-77.2%	12.4%	0.811
Hochschild Mining	GBP 1.16	-77.1%	25.1%	0.535
Silver Standard	USD 8.28	-79.8%	54.8%	0.519
Coeur d'Alene	USD 0.52	-90.0%	26.8%	0.287
Hecla Mining	USD 1.31	-90.0%	32.3%	0.222
Volcan	EUR 3.60	-82.8%	19.6%	0.382
Silvercorp	CAD 1.66	-84.4%	1.2%	0.206
ECU Silver	CAD 0.58	-77.7%	5.5%	0.115
Apex Silver	USD 0.74	-95.9%	63.7%	0.043
First Majestic	CAD 1.26	-78.1%	44.8%	0.076
Silverstone	CAD 0.46	-87.2%	15.0%	0.046
S. Métallurgique d'Imiter	MAD 242.00	-66.6%	0.0%	0.455
Endeavour Silver	CAD 1.20	-73.3%	20.0%	0.048
Excellon	CAD 0.22	-88.8%	2.4%	0.028
Fortuna Silver	CAD 0.53	-85.3%	39.5%	0.037
Great Panther	CAD 0.29	-83.1%	61.1%	0.019
Genco Resources	CAD 0.32	-91.9%	68.4%	0.011
Impact Silver	CAD 0.29	-84.7%	65.7%	0.011
Revett Minerals	CAD 0.08	-91.7%	14.3%	0.005
US Silver Corp	CAD 0.04	-95.7%	0.0%	0.007
DEVELOPERS & EXPLORERS
Abcourt Mines	CAD 0.08	-86.4%	23.1%	0.004
Apogee Minerals	CAD 0.04	-92.6%	33.3%	0.002
Aquiline Resources	CAD 0.93	-92.0%	19.2%	0.048
Arian Silver	CAD 0.05	-91.1%	25.0%	0.005
Aura Silver	CAD 0.04	-91.3%	100.0%	0.001
Avino Silver	CAD 0.38	-78.7%	111.1%	0.006
Bear Creek Mining	CAD 0.80	-91.5%	37.9%	0.036
Esperanza Silver	CAD 0.48	-77.0%	54.8%	0.019
Klondike Silver	CAD 0.08	-78.1%	33.3%	0.006
MAG Silver	CAD 4.70	-70.4%	33.5%	0.188
Mexican Silver	CAD 0.11	-87.8%	69.2%	0.004
Minco Silver	CAD 0.46	-89.0%	39.4%	0.012
Mines Management	USD 0.85	-81.3%	77.1%	0.019
Oremex Silver	CAD 0.08	-85.3%	275.0%	0.002
Orko Silver	CAD 0.40	-81.2%	42.9%	0.035
Oro Silver	CAD 0.08	-93.3%	23.1%	0.002
San Anton Resources	CAD 0.05	-95.8%	11.1%	0.004
Silvercrest	CAD 0.30	-80.2%	55.3%	0.011
Silver Eagle Mines	CAD 0.07	-92.7%	7.7%	0.003
S American Silver	CAD 0.16	-80.0%	6.7%	0.007
Southern Silver	CAD 0.04	-89.9%	33.3%	0.001
Averages/total		-85.0%	39.4%	6.032
Weighted averages		-83.1%	16.3%
GOLDS WITH NOTABLE SILVER
JSC Polymetal	USD 2.67	-72.9%	167.0%	0.841
Minefinders	CAD 4.58	-67.4%	13.1%	0.186
Gammon Gold	CAD 4.01	-64.2%	14.2%	0.392
Kimber Resources	CAD 0.75	-62.1%	41.5%	0.038
High River Gold	CAD 0.09	-97.4%	125.0%	0.023
New Gold	CAD 1.10	-88.7%	3.8%	0.191
Ovoca Gold	GBP 0.03	-84.3%	23.5%	0.017
WORLD'S TOP SILVER PRODUCERS (2007)
BHP Billiton	GBP 8.76	-60.3%	15.7%	82.121
Polska Miedź	PLN 24.20	-79.8%	20.5%	1.600
Fresnillo	GBP 0.98	-83.0%	3.0%	1.055
Kazakhmys	GBP 2.36	-88.0%	12.3%	1.893
Pan American Silver	USD 10.04	-77.2%	12.4%	0.811
Goldcorp	USD 19.97	-62.1%	44.3%	14.554
Volcan	EUR 3.60	-82.8%	19.6%	0.382
Buenaventura	USD 12.48	-70.9%	38.7%	3.431
JSC Polymetal	USD 2.67	-72.9%	167.0%	0.841
Southern Copper	USD 11.50	-72.6%	26.0%	10.017
Hochschild Mining	GBP 1.16	-77.1%	25.1%	0.535
Rio Tinto	GBP 24.35	-66.0%	24.4%	52.760
Coeur d'Alene	USD 0.52	-90.0%	26.8%	0.287
Oz Minerals	AUD 0.73	-82.0%	9.0%	1.490
Xstrata	GBP 7.95	-82.1%	16.0%	11.591
SILVER ETFs
iShares Silver Trust	USD 9.35	-54.9%	10.7%	2.054
ETFS Silver	USD 9.33	-55.9%	9.0%	0.183
ZKB Silver	CHF 1,085.00	-48.5%	13.4%	0.280
Averages/total		-53.1%	11.0%	2.517
Weighted averages		-54.3%	10.8%
Spot silver/oz	USD 9.42	-55.9%	11.4%
* 12 mon