SNB & CHF

The Swiss National Bank presented its new CHF100 banknotes in September. (Keystone / Peter Klaunzer) Swiss banknotes are far more resistant to counterfeiters than in previous years, dramatically reducing the number of fake copies, say federal police. By contrast, far more counterfeit coins were seized last year, probably as a result of better detection methods. In 2018, a record low of 1,200 fake banknotes were discovered by police. Their combined face value amounted...

In February, the Swiss government awarded mobile radio frequencies for 5G to three telecom operators: Salt, Sunrise and Swisscom. As more governments mull the risks of working with foreign vendors of 5G networks, eyes are on Switzerland as one of the technology’s early adopters. Will the Swiss take a heavier hand in restricting foreign providers like Huawei in the 5G supply chain or let the market decide? In a grim but not-so-far-fetched scenarioexternal link, a...

◆ The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has again warned that the world’s financial system is more stretched, unstable and dangerous than it was on the eve of the Lehman crisis ◆ Quantitative easing, zero percent interest rates and massive financial repression has pushed investors – and in the case of pension funds or life insurers, actually forced them – into taking on ever more risk ◆ Ambrose Evans-Pritchard analyses the IMF warning in The Telegraph and concludes...

© Vadimgozhda | Dreamstime.com Switzerland’s government has long discussed the importance of raising the retirement age to ensure the financial viability of the pension system. However, it is not clear whether voters would support such a plan. According to a survey by Deloitte, an accounting and consulting company, raising the official retirement age might not find majority support among Swiss voters. Some groups are firmly against the idea. Only 47% of the 1,000...

USD/CHF remains under heavy pressure after the London close.  The level to beat for bears is the 0.9871 level.  USD/CHF daily chart On the daily chart, USD/CHF is trading in a sideways trend, now challenging the 50 and 100-day simple moving averages (DSMAs) below the 0.9900 handle. USD/CHF daily chart(see more posts on USD/CHF, ) - Click to enlarge USD/CHF four-hour chart USD/CHF is under bearish pressure below the main SMAs as the market is trading at its...

Central bank negative interest rates are costing Swiss commercial banks CHF2 billion a year. (© Keystone / Melanie Duchene) Credit Suisse has joined the likes of UBS and Post Finance in charging rich clients to park their wealth in its vaults. It will pass on the cost of the central bank’s negative interest rates to both private individuals and corporate accounts above certain thresholds. From November 15, corporate clients will be charged -0.85% interest on cash...

We’re all against “fake news,” right? Until your content is deemed “fake news” in a “fake news” indictment without any evidence, trial or recourse. When propaganda is cleverly engineered, people don’t even recognize it as propaganda: welcome to the USSR, the United States of Suppression and Repression. The propaganda in the U.S. has reached such a high state that the majority of people accept it as “pravda” (truth), even as their limbic system’s BS detector is...

Swiss Franc The Euro has risen by 0.15% to 1.0999 EUR/CHF and USD/CHF, October 18(see more posts on EUR/CHF, USD/CHF, ) Source: markets.ft.com - Click to enlarge FX Rates Overview: The global capital markets are ending the week on a subdued note as the UK Parliament decision on Saturday is awaited. The weaker Chinese Q3 GDP had little impact outside of China, where stocks fell over 1%. A brief suspension of hostilities by Turkey was sufficient for the US to lift...

USD/CHF struggles around 38.2% Fibonacci retracement after declining to a three-week low. Bearish MACD favors further downpour to 0.9800/9795 support-zone. With its sustained trading below 50-day SMA, coupled with the bearish MACD, USD/CHF stays on the sellers’ radar even if it clings to 0.9880 during early Friday. The September 24 low nearing 0.9840 acts as immediate support for the pair while the previous month low and 23.6% Fibonacci retracement of April-August...

An initiative demanding a ban on tobacco advertising has collected 109,969 valid signatures, more than the 100,000 minimum required to launch a popular vote, according to RTS. The planned vote entitled: “Yes to the protection of children and young people against tobacco advertising” demands the federal government ban all forms of tobacco advertising towards children and young people. In practice such a ban would include banning all tobacco advertising in public...