CHART: Friday massacre for mining stocks but copper price pulls out of nosedive

Market Overview - Precious metals and copper prices experienced significant declines as investors reacted to the nomination of a new Fed chair, leading to profit-taking after recent record highs [1] - Gold futures saw a dramatic drop, closing at $4,745 an ounce, down 11.4% or $600 on the day, marking the largest intra-day decline since the early 1980s [2] - Silver prices fluctuated wildly, ending the day at $78.53 an ounce, a 35.9% drop, the largest decline on record [3] - Copper prices fell sharply, closing at $5.92 per pound ($13,060 per tonne), down 4.5% from previous highs [4] Company Performance - Major mining companies faced substantial losses, with Newmont Corporation (NYSE:NEM) down 11.5% to a market cap of $122 billion and Barrick Mining (NYSE:B) down 12.03% to $77.13 billion [9] - Agnico Eagle Mines (TSX:AEM) dropped 10.8% to a market valuation of $95.64 billion, losing its status as a $100 billion stock [9] - Gold Fields (NYSE:GFI) lost 14.5% to a market cap of $47.42 billion, while AngloGold Ashanti (NYSE:AU) fell over 13% to $46.89 billion [10] - Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (NYSE:FCX) saw a 7.5% decline, with a market cap of $86.49 billion, while Vale (NYSE:VALE) slid by 5.1% to $68.43 billion [14] Sector Impact - The overall mining sector suffered double-digit percentage drops, wiping billions in market value, particularly affecting gold, silver, and platinum stocks [8] - Copper producers and diversified companies, while also experiencing declines, fared better compared to precious metal stocks [11] - The tie-up between Teck Resources (NYSE:TECK) and Anglo American (OTCPK:NGLOY) is progressing, but both companies faced declines of 7.8% and 5.7% respectively [15] - Chinese mining companies like Zijin Mining (OTCPK:ZIJMY) and CMOC Group (SEHK:3993) also saw significant drops, with Zijin down 12.2% [17]