SNB & CHF

In spring 2023, the Swiss National Bank conducted its second payment methods survey of companies in Switzerland. Around 1,750 companies, across all sizes, language regions and industries, participated in this survey on payment method topics. In-depth knowledge of these topics helps the SNB to fulfil its statutory tasks in relation to the supply and distribution of cash and to cashless payments. . The most important findings of the payment methods survey of...

Policy errors have consequences, and we’re only in the first inning of those consequences. Please note: Of Two Minds subscription rates are going up this Friday 3/1/24 from $5/month or $50/year to $7/month or $70/year, so subscribe by Thursday if you want to lock in current rates. Thank you for understanding the necessity of adjusting rates that have been unchanged since 2011. If we ask, “what’s changed?,” two under-appreciated dynamics pop out: risk and...

EUR/CHF up over 3% from December’s lows. ECB President Lagarde looks ahead to growth rebound. Swiss Franc is broadly weaker across the majors market. EUR/CHF knocked into fresh multi-month highs on Monday as the pair steps into a ten-week peak above 0.9550. The Swiss Franc (CHF) has depreciated notably against the majority of its major currency peers in 2024, and is down 2.88% YTD against the Euro (EUR). European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde hit...

Imagine someone giving a State of the World address that begins with a reminder that people possess free will and ought to be doing a better job of exercising it. This could possibly raise doubts about the speaker’s mental stability—at least until the talk went into the dark details of civilization’s condition. If the state of the world reflects the choices people make, and if those choices are autonomous, originating from within the minds of individuals, then the...

When our reporter Jessica Davis Plüss found out that pharmaceutical giant Novartis had invested billions in Slovenia, helping turn the country into a global player in generic drug production, she wanted to find out more. So, she and our video journalist, Céline Stegmüller, went to Slovenia to investigate the pharma industry in the country. Watch this behind-the-scenes video to find out what they found interesting and surprising there. Tap here for more...

The “One-China” policy assumes Taiwan to be a runaway province. The people of Taiwan, however, see their country as sovereign, and their reasons have merit. Original Article: Is Taiwan a De Facto Sovereign Nation or a Province of the PRC? [embedded content] Tags: Featured,newsletter

Some economists believe that the balance of payments is what determines currency exchange rates. In fact, exchange rates are always about the purchasing power of some currencies relative to others. Original Article: Does the Balance of Payments Determine Exchange Rates? [embedded content] Tags: Featured,newsletter

Javier Milei is trying to undo the damage created by nearly a century of socialism in Argentina. Mises, Rothbard, and Hayek were good teachers. Original Article: Javier Milei Understands the Road to Serfdom [embedded content] Tags: Featured,newsletter

There will be life after Trump one way or another, but in the long run, it seems as though the ruling party always wins. Original Article: After Trump, Then What? [embedded content] Tags: Featured,newsletter

In 2022, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer used political favors and government grants to maneuver thousands of workers into jobs producing electric trucks. But consumers aren’t interested. Original Article: How Governor Whitmer Doomed Detroit Autoworkers [embedded content] Tags: Featured,newsletter