Asia

Submitted by Ronan Manly, BullionStar.com

German precious metals group Heraeus Precious Metals (HPM), part of the Heraeus industrial group, has just announced the full acquisition of Swiss precious metals refining group Argor-Heraeus. Heraeus is headquartered in Hanau, just outside Frankfurt. Argor-Heraeus is headquartered in Mendrisio in the Swiss Canton of Ticino, beside the Italian border.

Welcome to a new financial quarter.

As part of the usual review of last month and Q1 asset performance, it is worth nothing one surprising element of Q1 we showed over the weekend, namely that the VIX index had its lowest average quarter since Q4 2006.

Gold and Silver Best Performing Assets In Q1, 2017

• Buying a Home This Spring Will Be Hardest in Years (WSJ)
• Senate showdown likely over Gorsuch confirmation (Reuters)
• ‘Nuclear’ Bid to Confirm Gorsuch May Radically Change Washington (BBG)
• Trump's son-in-law, Kushner, flies into Iraq with top U.S. general (Reuters)
• Solid Asia factory growth caps a strong first quarter but outlook cloudy (Reuters)
• Trump presses China on North Korea ahead of Xi talks (Reuters)
• The Rising Retirement Perils of 401(k) ‘Leakage’ (WSJ)

For those just getting to their desks, here is a summary of what you missed in the overnight session, courtesy of JPM's Adam Crisafulli