Xstrata is a major global diversified mining group. Xstrata maintains a meaningful position in six major international commodity markets: copper, coking coal, thermal coal, ferrochrome, vanadium and zinc, with additional exposures to gold, lead and silver. The Groups operations and projects span four continents and seven countries: Australia, South Africa, Spain, Germany, Argentina, Peru and the UK.

            Red = 25 day moving average.           Green = 200 day moving average.

SALES PER ACTIVITY (Data as of 31/12/2005)

Coal:       42%
Copper:    25%
Zinc:       18%
Chrome:   10%
Vanadium: 4%
Others:     1%

The price of 'most metals' slipped today - that tends to affect the sp in the absence of rumours or other hard news, hence the apparent volatility

being totally hammered by shorters the last few days

Something to do with the closure of the australian zinc mine maybe?
Batiss Investments seem to be in major buying mode of XTA stock at present!

Yes I've noticed.
Certainly XTA has been worse affected but most of the mining stocks are well off peaks.

Although I am currently a bit wary of broker targets at the moment, XTA has a target price of 1400p, (broker consensus dated 14.07.08)
Bought in at 3414p, so anywhere near that would be acceptable for me.

trust you mean 41.00 and NOT 14.00 - lol!

Typo! Target should read 4100p.
Thanks. An error like that could have attracted a hedge fund manager or two!!!

Why is this headed south?

Maybe 'cos as they are bidding for Lonmin & their offer has been rejected, they are now gonna have to find more funding for another, higher offer. Often the bidder's sp goes down but the target's sp goes up, though wouldn't mind betting the shorters are forcing things down a bit as well.
Sp well below the 200 DMA on the chart, but picking the bottom before the bounce is very tricky, imo.

commodity prices also falling away

All commodity companies are well oversold IMO but that is the market for you.

Can't help feeling there is a bounce looming

Dollar has overshot some would say based on interest rates, big players(possibly fed to push crude down) with thin volume due to hols.So I'm hoping for weakness on cable and eurodollar that should help commod stocks. The other argument that this is sector rotation from comod stocks to value/defensives

down 11% with all the other miners.

Might buy in when it gets down to 1/share lol

down 13%

approaching 15%

diito 20%.

We're all dooooomed ..

Private Fraser, behave yourself!

yes Mr Mannering ..... :-(

Captain Mainwaring sir to you, Fraser

yes Mr mannerinrdg