SNB & CHF

 Two weeks ago Bank of America caused a stir when it calculated that central banks (mostly the ECB & BoJ) have bought $1 trillion of financial assets just in the first four months of 2017, which amounts to $3.6 trillion annualized, “the largest CB buying on record.”  Aggregate Balance Sheet Of Large Central Banks, 2000 - 2017 - Click to enlarge BofA’s Michael Hartnett noted that supersized central bank...

Swiss Franc Switzerland Consumer Price Index (CPI) YoY, April 2017(see more posts on Switzerland Consumer Price Index, ) Source: investing.com - Click to enlarge FX Rates The US dollar has been mostly confined to about a 30 pip range against the euro and yen in Asia and the European morning. Sterling is under a little pressure after a series of poor data, including larger than expected falls in manufacturing and...

Study in Switzerland – it’s high ranked Switzerland has the second best higher education system in the world, according to the 2017 Universitas 21 report, just below the United States. Is it just resources or is there another factor in play? The small alpine nation was ahead of the United Kingdom (ranked third) and its near neighbours in the classification of 50 countries, compiled by the Universitas 21external link...

Espionage has inflamed a tax row between Germany and Switzerland (Keystone) German investigators believe a mole spied for the Swiss intelligence service inside a German tax office, which was trying to catch German tax dodgers. On Thursday, Swiss and German media published new details surrounding the case of an alleged Swiss spy arrested last week for industrial espionage in Frankfurt. Swiss public television, SRF, which...

Closing the book on Q4 2016 balance sheet capacity is to review essentially forex volumes. The eurodollar system over the last ten years has turned far more in this direction in addition to it becoming more Asian/Japanese. In fact, the two really go hand in hand given the native situation of Japanese banks. As expected, data compiled by the Office of Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) shows the same negative tendencies...

The consumer price index (IPC) increased by 0.2% in April 2017 compared with the previous month, reaching 100.9 points (December 2015=100). Inflation was 0.4% compared with the same month the previous year. These are the results of the Federal Statistical Office (FSO). Switzerland Consumer Price Index (CPI) YoY, April 2017(see more posts on Switzerland Consumer Price Index, ) Source: investing.com - Click to enlarge...

Headlines Week May 08, 2017 The centre-left politician Macron has won the French elections. He is a politician that – similar to Hollande four years ago – promises economic improvements, more investment, more jobs. As opposed to Hollande, he also advocates limitations on salaries and less social protection for workers, to restore France’s competitiveness. Mostly probably he will fail similar to his predecessor because...

Swiss Franc EUR/CHF - Euro Swiss Franc, May 10(see more posts on EUR/CHF, ) - Click to enlarge FX Rates Investors absorbed a few developments that might have been disruptive for the markets with little fanfare. North Korea’s ambassador to the UK warned that his country would go ahead with its sixth nuclear test, as South Korea elected a new president who wants to reduce tensions on the peninsula. The Dollar...

Second ninth-series note showcases Switzerland’s creativity The Swiss National Bank (SNB) will begin issuing the new 20-franc note on 17 May 2017. It is the second of six denominations in the new banknote series to be released. The current eighth-series banknotes will remain legal tender until further notice. The inspiration behind the new banknote series is ‘The many facets of Switzerland’. Each denomination depicts a...

© Steve Woods | Dreamstime.com 24 Heures. Last week, the regional newspaper 24 Heures, uncovered a fraudulent scheme allegedly involving two workers from the union Unia, which may have cost Vaud’s social security system as much as CHF 3 million. The alleged fraud is centred on the construction industry, where bosses of small businesses along with two staff from the union Unia managed to deceive the canton’s unemployment...