Drill results boost Nighthawk Gold shares

PotashCorp chief executive Bill Doyle threw down a challenge to rival BHP Billiton today, saying in an interview with The Financial Post that he doesn't believe the world's biggest miner is able to establish a potash beachhead in Canada with its Jansen mine.

BHP Billiton addressed shareholder concerns about its ambitious investment plans in four mega-projects on Wednesday saying it will match capital expenditures closely with cash flows and stagger the project pipeline.

Barrick Gold Corp. (TSX:ABX) increased its quarterly dividend by 33%, as the company announced Wednesday a 3% increase in its first-quarter profit.

Yamana Gold (TSX:YRI) announced that net earnings increased 15% to $170 million, $0.23 per share in first quarter of 2012.

Birks, one of Canada's main manufacturers and retailers of fine jewellery since 1879, is bringing the largest collection of yellow diamonds ever to be exhibited in the jeweller's history to its Toronto location. A collection of pieces worth $10 million will be showcased at Birks on Bloor from May 2 to 6, 2012.

Canadian junior Shear Diamonds Ltd. (TSX VENTURE:SRM) announced today it’s begun processing diamonds from the stockpiles at its Jericho diamond mine in Nunavut, Canada.

Canada's gross domestic product surprisingly dropped 0.2% in February, with all fingers pointing at the manufacturing and mining sectors, particularly potash and nickel producers, as the main responsible, says the latest Statistics Canada report.

Sales volumes were up 33% at Cameco, the world's largest uranium miner in Q1. Revenue increased 22% to $563 million and gross profit showed a gain of 31% to $178 million.

From a 7-year low against US benchmark crude only six weeks ago, syncrude on Monday moved into premium territory.