Alamos (AGI) (ABG) (CLF) (GUY) (AUY) (PAAS) (SSRI) Ratings Changes

Alamos Gold (AGI), African Barrick Gold (ABG), Cliffs Natural Resources (CLF), Guyana Goldfields (GUY), Yamana Gold (AUY), Pan American Silver Corp (PAAS) and Silver Standard Resources (SSRI) had ratings on them changed by analysts.

Investec upgraded African Barrick Gold (ABG) to a "Buy" rating.

Deutsche Bank upgraded Cliffs Natural Resources (CLF) from a "Hold" rating to a "Buy" rating. They have a price target of $48.00 on the company.

RBC Capital upgraded Guyana Goldfields (GUY) from a "Sector Perform" rating to an "Outperform" rating. They have a price target of $6.00 on the company.

Davy downgraded Yamana Gold (AUY) from an "Outperform" rating to a "Neutral" rating.

Deutsche Bank downgraded Pan American Silver (PAAS) from a "Buy" rating to a "Hold" rating. They have a price target of $20.00 on the company.

Deutsche Bank downgraded Silver Standard Resources (SSRI) from a "Hold" rating to a "Sell" rating. They have a price target of $12.50 on the company.

Hecla (HL) (MTL) (MT) (POT) (AGU) (PAAS) (AXP) Ratings, Price Targets

Hecla Mining (HL), Mechel (MTL), ArcelorMittal (MT), Potash (POT), Agrium Inc. (AGU), Pan American Silver (PAAS) and American Express (AXP) had ratings and price targets on them adjusted by analysts.

BNP Paribas upgraded ArcelorMittal (MT) from an "Underperform" rating to a "Neutral" rating.

UBS AG downgraded Mechel (MTL) from a "Buy" rating to a "Neutral" rating.

Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage on Potash (POT). They placed a "Buy" rating and price target of $56.00 on the company.

Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage on Agrium Inc. (AGU). They placed a "Buy" rating and price target of $105.00 on the company.

Deutsche Bank initiated coverage on Hecla Mining (HL). They placed a "Hold" rating and price target of $5.50 on the company.

BMO Capital Markets initiated coverage on Pan American Silver (PAAS). They placed an "Outperform" rating and price target of $35.00 on the company.

Wells Fargo & Co. downgraded American Express (AXP) from an "Outperform" rating to a "Market Perform" rating.

Macy’s (M) (PAAS) (GM) (CBI) (ADBE) Ratings, Price Targets

Macy’s (NYSE: M), Pan American Silver Corp. (NASDAQ: PAAS), General Motors (NYSE: GM), Chicago Bridge & Iron Company (NYSE: CBI) and Adobe Systems (NASDAQ: ADBE) had ratings and price targets on them reiterated or adjusted by analysts.

Macy’s (M) had its price target raised by Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) to $32.00.

Pan American Silver Corp. (PAAS) was downgraded by Canaccord Genuity from a “Buy” rating to a “Hold” rating.

General Motors (GM) had its price target lowered by RBC Capital to $36.00.

Chicago Bridge & Iron Company (CBI) had its price target raised by JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) to $50.00.

Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) reiterated its "Sell" rating on Adobe Systems (ADBE). They have a price target of $24.00 on the company.

MAKO (MAKO) (CYS) (PAAS) (HOGS) (HTS) (MTW) Ratings, PT, EPS

MAKO Surgical (MAKO), Cypress Sharpridge Investments, Inc. (CYS), Pan American Silver Corp (PAAS), ZHONGPIN INC. (HOGS), Hatteras Financial Corp. (HTS) and Manitowoc Company, Inc. (MTW) had ratings, price targets or ESP estimates adjusted by analysts.

Compass Point initiated coverage on Cypress Sharpridge Investments, Inc. (CYS). They placed a “Buy” rating and a price target of $13.50 on the company.

Global Hunter Securities upgraded ZHONGPIN INC. (HOGS) from a “Reduce” rating to a “Neutral” rating.

Raymond James (NYSE:RJF) downgraded Pan American Silver Corp (PAAS) from a “Strong Buy” rating to an “Outperform” rating.

Compass Point initiated coverage on Hatteras Financial Corp. (HTS). They placed a “Neutral” rating on the company.

Canaccord Genuity raised its price target on MAKO Surgical (MAKO) from $24.50 to $30.00. They have a “Hold” rating on the company.

UBS AG (NYSE:UBS) raised its price target on Manitowoc Company, Inc. (MTW) from $10.00 to $12.00. They have a “Neutral” rating on the company.

Bayer (BAYRY) (PAAS) (MMI) (VRTX) (ODP) (CHDN) Upgraded

Bayer AG (OTC: BAYRY), Pan American Silver Corp (NASDAQ: PAAS), Motorola Mobility (NYSE: MMI), Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: VRTX), Office Depot, Inc. (NYSE: ODP) and Churchill Downs, Inc. (NASDAQ: CHDN) upgraded by analysts.

Motorola Mobility (MMI) was upgraded by JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) from an “Underweight” rating to a “Neutral” rating.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) was upgraded by William Blair from a “Market Perform” rating to an “Outperform” rating.

Pan American Silver Corp. (PAAS) was upgraded by Canaccord Genuity from a “Hold” rating to a “Buy” rating.

Bayer AG (BAYRY) was upgraded by Nomura from a “Neutral” rating to a “Buy” rating.

Office Depot, Inc. (ODP) was upgraded by UBS AG from a “Sell” rating to a “Neutral” rating. They have a price target of $3.00 on the company.

Churchill Downs, Inc. (CHDN) was upgraded by Hilliard Lyons from a “Neutral” rating to a “Buy” rating. They have a price target of $52.00 on the company.

GT Solar (SOLR) (PAAS) (PEP) (REV) (SO) (EW) Dowgraded

GT Solar International, Inc. (NASDAQ: SOLR), Pan American Silver Corp (NASDAQ: PAAS), PepsiCo, Inc. (NYSE: PEP), Revlon Incorporated (NYSE: REV), Southern Co (NYSE: SO) and Edwards Lifesciences (NYSE: EW) downgraded by analysts.

Pan American Silver (PAAS) was downgraded by Canaccord Genuity from a “Buy” rating to a “Hold” rating.

Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) downgraded Southern Co (SO) from a “Neutral” rating to a “Sell” rating.

GT Solar International, Inc. (SOLR) was downgraded by Credit Agricole from an “Outperform” rating to an “Underperform” rating.

PepsiCo, Inc. (PEP) was downgraded by Goldman Sachs from a “Buy” rating to a “Neutral” rating. They have a price target of $74.00 on the company.

Edwards Lifesciences (EW) was downgraded by Rodman & Renshaw from a “Market Perform” rating to an “Underperform” rating. They have a price target of $66.00 on the company.

Revlon Incorporated (REV) was downgraded by BMO Capital Markets from an “Outperform” rating to a “Market Perform” rating.

Silver Wheaton (SLW) (HL) (CDE) (PAAS) (SVM) Jump As Silver Prices Soar

Investors looking to gold and silver for safety as equities drop, pushing up the price of the precious metals and silver companies like Silver Wheaton (NYSE:SLW), Hecla Mining (NYSE:HL), Coeur d'Alene Mines (NYSE:CDE), Pan American Silver (NASDAQ:PAAS) and Silvercorp Metals Inc. (NYSE:SVM).

Silver prices are up with the most actively traded contract, for July delivery, recently up 22.3 cents, or 0.6 percent, at $35.155 a troy ounce.

The most actively traded gold contract, for June delivery, was recently up $19.70, or $1.3 percent, at $1,512.10 a troy ounce on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Silvercorp Metals Inc. (SVM) was trading at $10.28, gaining $0.04, or 0.39 percent, as of 1:30 PM EDT. Pan American Silver (PAAS) was trading at $32.94, gaining $0.51, or 1.57 percent. Coeur d'Alene Mines (CDE) was at $8.14, rising $0.09, or 1.42 percent. Hecla Mining (HL) was trading at $0.09, climbing $1.12, or 3.04 percent. Silver Wheaton (:SLW) was at $35.37, jumping $0.67, or 1.93 percent.

Pan American Silver (PAAS) Board Declares Dividend

The Board of Directors of Pan American Silver Corp. (NASDAQ:PAAS) declared a second quarter dividend of $0.025 per share, payable 6/15/11 to shareholders of record at the close of business on 5/31/11

Shares of Pan American Silver have been fluctuating over the last several trading days as silver prices have been extremely volatile.

Pan American Silver Corp. participates in the exploration, development, extraction, processing, production, refining, reclamation, and operation of silver properties in South America and Mexico.

The silver miner closed Thursday at $32.43, falling $0.34, or 1.03 percent.

Dividends on (PAAS) (MCD) (MMC) (YUM) (DDR) Declared

Pan American Silver Corp. (NASDAQ:PAAS), McDonald`s Corp. (NYSE:MCD), Marsh & McLennan Companies Inc. (NYSE:MMC), Yum! Brands Inc. (NYSE:YUM) and Developers Diversified Realty Corp. (NYSE:DDR) declare dividends.

The Board of Directors of Pan American Silver Corp. (PAAS) declared a second quarter common stock dividend of $0.025 per share payable 6/15/11 to shareholders of record at the close of business on 5/31/11.

The Board of Directors of McDonald`s Corp. (MCD) declared a quarterly common stock dividend of $0.61 per share payable 6/15/11 to shareholders of record at the close of business on 6/1/11.

The Board of Directors of Marsh & McLennan Companies Inc. (MMC) declared a quarterly common stock dividend of $0.22 per share payable 8/15/11 to shareholders of record at the close of business on 7/11/11.

The Board of Directors of Yum! Brands Inc. (YUM) declared a quarterly common stock dividend of $0.25 per share payable 8/5/11 to shareholders of record at the close of business on 7/15/11.

The Board of Directors of Developers Diversified Realty Corp. (DDR) declared a second quarter common stock dividend of $0.04 per share payable 7/6/11 to shareholders of record at the close of business on 6/20/11.

Pan American Silver (PAAS) Trades Down as Silver Prices Fall

Pan American Silver (NASDAQ:PAAS) traded down as silver prices fell on Thursday.

Silver prices ended the session down. July delivery for silver fell 16.5 cents, or 0.5 percent, to $34.932 a troy ounce.

Gold for June delivery closed down $3.40, or 0.2 percent, at $1,492.40 a troy ounce on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange.

The ICE Futures' dollar index was down 0.5 percent at 75.106. The U.S. dollar was down against most of its major peers at the end of trading Thursday.

Extremely bad news on Obama's economy pressured the commodity sector.

July contracts had copper falling 5.25 cents to settle at $4.0525 a pound and platinum dropped $10.90 to $1,769 an ounce. June palladium settled down $9.05 at $728.15 an ounce.

Housing sales and manufacturing data revealed an ongoing weak and fragile American economy.

Pan American Silver Corp. participates in the exploration, development, extraction, processing, production, refining, reclamation, and operation of silver properties.

Pan American Silver (PAAS) closed Thursday at $32.43, falling $0.34, or 1.03 percent.

Miners (MGN) (HL) (GPL) (MVG) (PAAS) Trade Up as Silver Rebounds

Shares of Mines Management (AMEX:MGN), Hecla Mining (NYSE:HL), Great Panther (AMEX:GPL), Mag Silver Corporation (AMEX:MVG) and Pan American Silver (NASDAQ:PAAS) as silver, gold and the majority of other commodity prices climbed on the day.

The silver contract for May delivery gained $1.61, or 4.8 percent, to $35.10 a troy ounce.

June gold climbed $15.80 to $1,495.80 per troy ounce, a 1.1 percent gain on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange. The less traded May contract was up $15.80, or 1.1 percent, to $1,495.60 a troy ounce.

A weaker dollar was the major catalyst for gold and silver specifically, and commodities in general on Wednesday.

Benchmark West Texas Intermediate crude for June delivery was up $3.19, or 3.3 percent, to settle at $100.10 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Brent crude rose $2.31 in London, or 2.1 percent, to settle at $112.30 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange.

The U.S. dollar index, which measures the dollar against a basket of six currencies, traded at 75.438, down a little from 75.441 late Tuesday. That was also a factor in gold and silver prices going up.

Great Panther (GPL) closed Wednesday at $3.01, gaining $0.22, or 7.89 percent.

Miners (SLW) (PAAS) (HL) (CDE) All Close Up Tuesday

Shares of Silver Wheaton (NYSE:SLW), Pan American Silver (NASDAQ:PAAS), Hecla Mining (NYSE:HL) and Coeur d'Alene Mines (NYSE:CDE) closed up on Tuesday, as silver prices were up slightly on the day.

Silver gained 0.7 percent to settle at $33.80 an ounce. Since the latter part of April it has fallen almost 33 percent from a record high of $49.51.

Gold futures for June delivery closed down $10.60, or 0.7 percent, at $1,480.00 per ounce in New York. Trade ranged from a low $1,471.10 to a high of $1,497.50.

Silver Wheaton (SLW) closed Tuesday at $34.32, gaining $0.57, or 1.69 percent.

Endeavor Silver (AMEX:EXK) closed the same as Monday, while First Majestic (NYSE:AG) and Silvercorp Metals Inc. (NYSE:SVM) both closed down.

Hecla (HL) (PAAS) (ISVLF) (MFN) (GPL) Trade Mixed As Silver Rises

Hecla Mining (NYSE:HL), Pan American Silver (NASDAQ:PAAS), Impact Silver (OTC:ISVLF.PK), Minefinders Corp. Ltd. (AMEX:MFN) and Great Panther (AMEX:GPL) trade mixed as silver climbed.

Silver and gold prices went through a reversal Friday, as gold closed down and silver rebounded to close higher, putting pressure on .

Silver prices settled up 21 cents to $35.01 an ounce. Gold for June delivery fell $13.10 to close at $1,493.60 at the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange. The spot gold price was down by about $13 an ounce.

The U.S. dollar index was up 0.74 percent to $75.75 as the euro continued to get hammered on the sovereign debt crises in Europe. The euro plunged 1.7 percent last week as Greece was again in the spotlight for the need to probably be bailed out again, as it appears the country refuses to implement austerity measures to deal with the situation, as it, along with numerous countries, has made progressive, socialists promises they aren't able to keep.

Besides the long-term collapse of the U.S. dollar and the European sovereign debt crises, other factors offering support to gold include tightening in China, inflation, and unrest in the middle east.

Hecla Mining (HL) closed Friday at $8.13, down $0.01, or 0.12 percent.

Silver's (GPL) (CDE) (PAAS) (AG) (MVG) Trade Mixed as Silver, Gold Rebound

Silver companies Great Panther (AMEX:GPL), Coeur d'Alene Mines (NYSE:CDE), Pan American Silver (NASDAQ:PAAS), First Majestic (NYSE:AG) and Mag Silver Corporation (AMEX:MVG) closed mixed Monday as silver prices turned around on Monday.

With the exception of Coeur d'Alene Mines, the rest of the silver mining companies listed above traded positive.

Silver prices jumped $1.82 to close at $37.11 an ounce after plunging 27 percent last week.

According to research firm Lipper, last week almost $1 billion flowed out of silver exchange traded funds (ETFs).

Gold for June delivery increased $11.86 to settle at $1,503.20 at the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange after dropping 4.8 percent in a week. The gold price Monday traded in a range as high as $1,512 and as low as $1,489.

The U.S. dollar fell to $1.434 against the euro and dropped against the Japanese yen to 80.24 yen.

First Majestic (AG) closed Monday at $19.77, gaining $1.53, or 8.39 percent. Pan American Silver (PAAS) closed at $34.31, jumping $1.10, or 3.31 percent. Great Panther (GPL) closed at $3.48, up $0.17, or 5.14 percent.

Silver's (PAAS) (SSRI) (CDE) (ISVLF) (MVG) After Metal Trades Down

Silver prices continued to be pressured Friday, as it has been weighed down by the investors taking profits in recent trade, and increased margin requirements, which has dragged silver companies Pan American Silver (NASDAQ:PAAS), Silver Standard Resources (NASDAQ:SSRI), Coeur d'Alene Mines (NYSE:CDE), Impact Silver (OTC:ISVLF.PK) and Mag Silver Corporation (AMEX:MVG) down on the week, although most rebounded on Friday.

Silver for July delivery dropped 95.3 cents, or 2.6 percent, to $35.29 an ounce on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange. It had risen as high as $36.43 an ounce in Friday's trading.

The front-month silver contract had its worst week since late March 1980. Silver for May delivery fell 27 percent in the five-day period — its biggest percent drop since that date. The most-active July contract also was down 27 percent on the week.

Silver has lost 14 percent so far in 2011. On April 25, silver had reached as high as $49.845.

Gold for June delivery climbed $10.20, or 0.7 percent, to $1,491.60 an ounce. Gold lost 4.2 percent last week, as it had settled at a record $1,556.40 an ounce the Friday before. Gold fell 4.2 percent on the week.

Pan American Silver (PAAS) closed Friday at $33.21, gaining $0.28, or 0.85 percent.

Mag Silver (MVG) (PAAS) (CDE) (MGN) (ISVLF) Crunched as Silver Drops

Pan American Silver (NASDAQ:PAAS), Coeur d'Alene Mines (NYSE:CDE), Mines Management (AMEX:MGN), Impact Silver (OTC:ISVLF.PK) and Mag Silver Corporation (AMEX:MVG) got crushed Thursday as gold and silver prices continued their fall.

The silver contract for May delivery closed 8 percent lower, down $3.152, at $36.231 per troy ounce.

Since the Friday settlement price silver has plummeted 25 percent.

Gold for May delivery, the front-month contract, ended the trading session Thursday down $34, or 2.2 percent, at $1,480.90 per troy ounce on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange.

The U.S. dollar was also up, adding pressure to the two precious metals, as it gained 2 percent against the euro. That came largely from European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet who suggested there will no interest-rate boost in the near future.

Nothing has changed the underlying fundamentals for gold or silver though, and this is just a healthy correction before gold and silver prices begin moving up again.

As long as easy money policies continue by the Federal Reserve and interest rates remain near zero, there is nothing to stop gold and silver prices from continuing to rise.

Inflation, political unrest, sovereign debt crisis and the collapsing U.S. dollar will also play a major role over time for gold and silver prices.

Impact Silver (ISVLF) closed at $1.92, dropping $0.128, or 6.24 percent. Mines Management (MGN) closed at $2.28, down $0.26, or 10.24 percent.

Silver Firms (PAAS) (SSRI) (MGN) (GPL) (AG) Trade Mixed as Silver Takes Beating

Even though silver prices got pummeled again Wednesday, silver producers Pan American Silver (NASDAQ:PAAS), Silver Standard Resources (NASDAQ:SSRI), Mines Management (AMEX:MGN), Great Panther (AMEX:GPL) and First Majestic (NYSE:AG) closed the trading day mixed, rebounding from recent losses.

The ongoing plunge in silver prices pressured commodities one Wednesday as investors sold holdings to take money off the table after weeks of prices rising in the sector.

Silver dropped $3.197, or 7.5 percent, to settle at $39.388 an ounce. That's the third straight day of losses after silver approached the elusive $50 an ounce mark last week.

Silver for July delivery dropped $2.820, at $39.765 per troy ounce.

Despite silver's three-day fall, the price is still 27.3 percent higher on the year.

Gold for June delivery, the most actively traded contract, fell $25.10 to $1,515.30 an ounce.

The U.S. dollar index lost 0.15 percent to $73.01.

Pan American Silver closed Wednesday at $34.53, gaining $0.70, or 2.07 percent.

Pain for (MVG) (FVITF) (CDE) (PAAS) (AXU) As Silver Plummets

Shares of silver miners Mag Silver Corporation (AMEX:MVG), Fortuna (OTC:FVITF), Coeur d'Alene Mines (NYSE:CDE), Pan American Silver (NASDAQ:PAAS) and Alexco Resource (AMEX: AXU) were punished again as silver prices fell in Tuesday trading.

Silver plunged another $3.49 Tuesday to settle at $42.576 per troy ounce on the Comex division of the Nymex. In after hours trading the price almost dropped below $40 an ounce.

Much of this has been the result of he decision by the CME Group to raise margin requirements by 11.6 percent, starting at the close of market on Tuesday.

To buy a 5,000 ounce contract, silver traders will now have to put up $16,200.

Leverage traders slashed their silver positions over the last couple of days, driving the price of silver down. Expectations are silver could bottom out as about $38 if there's more leverage leaving the market.

Other than some speculation, other reasons for the boost in silver prices include the collapsing U.S. dollar, tightening in China, sovereign debt crisis in Europe, unrest in the Middle East, deepening inflation and consequences of the Japanese earthquake. India also raised its interest rates unexpectedly on Tuesday, putting some downward pressure on gold and silver as well.

Pan American Silver closed Tuesday at $33.83, falling $0.67, or 1.94 percent.

Mag Silver (MVG) (PAAS) (SVM) (EXK) (FVITF) Crushed as Silver Drops

Shares of Mag Silver Corporation (AMEX:MVG), Pan American Silver (NASDAQ:PAAS), Fortuna (OTC:FVITF.PK), Silvercorp Metals Inc. (NYSE:SVM) and Endeavour Silver (AMEX: EXK) got hammered as silver prices plunged Monday.

Gold for June delivery jumped 70 cents Monday to settle at $1,557.10 an ounce at the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange. After losing 2.5 percent to drop to $1,540.30, the yellow metal rebounded to $1,577 an ounce.

Silver prices for July lost $2.51 to settle at $46.08 an ounce, after getting crushed 13 percent, as it fell as low as $42.20.

The U.S. dollar index changed directions after an rally early in the trading session Monday and was down 0.09 percent at $72.96. The U.S. dollar index was fell almost 4 percent in April and is struggling to keep from breaking below its record low of $71.

It is surprising to see gold and silver be pressured, as in April gold was up 8.92 percent and silver a whopping 28.72 percent.

One piece of financial information somewhat ignored Monday because of the hoopla surrounding the death of Osama bin Laden, was the manufacturing report concerning China in April which showed production had slowed down during the month. That should help the price of gold and silver going forward.

Silvercorp Metals closed at $12.30, falling $1.29, or 9.49 percent.

Alexco (AXU) (PAAS) (SSRI) (HL) (GPL) Trade Mixed as Silver, Gold Break Records Again

Alexco Resource (AMEX: AXU), Pan American Silver (NASDAQ:PAAS), Silver Standard Resources (NASDAQ:SSRI), Hecla Mining (NYSE:HL) and Great Panther (AMEX:GPL) closed mixed Friday as silver and gold price records continue be broken.

Most-active July silver jumped $1.058, or 2.2%, to a record settlement of $48.599 a troy ounce, while the May contract rose $1.064, or 2.2 percent, to $48.584, just short of its all-time settlement high of $48.70 hit on January 17, 1980. In April, the May silver contract rallied $10.712, or 28.3 percent, to its biggest monthly U.S. dollar gain in Comex history.

Gold futures soared past $1,550 an ounce Friday as investors looked for an alternative to the U.S. dollar, which continues to collapse.

The most-actively traded gold contract, for June delivery climbed $25.20, or 1.6 percent, to settle at a record $1,556.40 a troy ounce on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange.

It roared past its intraday peak to $1,569.80 in electronic trading after the close. May gold rose $25.20, or 1.6 percent, to end at a nearby record $1,556.00. Measured by percent and the U.S. dollar, it's the largest monthly gains since November 2009.

The ICE Futures U.S. Dollar Index was down 0.2 percent on Friday, increasing demand for the dollar-denominated precious metals by making them less expensive for foreign buyers.

Inflation concerns in America, Europe, China and Russia also has contributed to the jump in gold prices.

Other factors affecting gold and silver are the collapsing U.S. dollar, sovereign debt crisis in Europe, unrest in the Middle East and consequences of the Japanese earthquake.

Silver investors have been getting jittery over the soaring prices, the reason a number of companies are trading low in the midst of high silver prices.