Companies that have cash on hand to build mines, or do substantial exploration, do not use that money for those very things because of fear of spending themselves out in an environment of tight money. They have to see that there is a possibility of reasonable additional financings before they commit to current plans.

Financial institutions on the other hand are bleeding profusely and are desperate to sell their share holds at as high a profit as possible but those very shares are depressed because of many forced sells, lack of favourable development news and poor prospects for financing. Hence the financials sell when they absolutely must and that happens too often.
It is a vicious circle.

In a down market shorters prevail, they do what they need to do to generate profits in desperate times. Not wanting to defend them, but they are a symptom of the times instead of the cause. Granted, selling something that one does not own if fraud, no matter how one explains it. It is the system that allows such behaviour that is fundamentally at fault.

The share prices seem to have reached bottom and any company that has only dropped in price by about half from a year ago is strong. Many companies that have dropped to a quarter or even a tenth of their former value, IF they have proven resources many times their current value, are equally as strong and probably will appreciate even more when this blows over. Things will blow over, that is inescapable, because during the slow down exploration is not done, mines not built and the demand is not receeding so it must come to a point when the demand forces the prices of the resources to soar.
That is when the share prices will boom and the financials in need of profit will jump on the opportunity. There will likely be a frenzy to get in.
The early birds get the choicest worms. This summer looks as the best and last opportunity.

The big questin is: When will the dam burst?