Gold

This week we have meetings involving the ECB and the Federal Reserve followed by the job numbers on Friday. These meetings, summits, announcements have an effect on the investment community in that investment funds tend to stay on the sidelines until the direction of the markets becomes clear.

US Silver's (TSX-V:USA) board of directors has spurned an unsolicited all-cash take-over bid from Hecla Mining Company (NYSE:HL) and unanimously recommended that shareholders reject the offer by instead voting for the combination of US Silver with RX Gold (TSX-V:RXE).

Newcrest Mining (ASX:NCM) is the one Australian mining major exposed to the greatest level of country risk with 63% of its assets situated in nation-states categorized as 'very high-risk' by analysts.

A report indicating weak sentiment on the part of Australian mining companies would appear to substantiate warnings that Australia's flourishing resources sector is headed for a slowdown.

The brouhaha over Bob Dylan's made-up quotes inspired some in the Twitter-verse to add their own mis-attributions to the 71-year-old music legend.

Despite being in a bull market for the past decade, precious metals are still widely under-owned by historical standards. The percentage of wealth held in gold and silver today fails in comparison to the last bull market thirty years ago.

Eric Sprott announced that his company has $200 million committed to his self-named Sprott Physical Silver Trust, and the announcement will help silver, which has been in the "doldrums."

People should stop worrying about Chinese businesses buying up resource companies in Australia because the Chinese are no good at investing, says former Rio Tinto executive, Michael Komesaroff.

With an illegal strike on its hands Gold One has reduced its guidance, originally set at 300 000 oz, down to 250 000 oz.