SNB & CHF

Cycles and Sentiment Another recurring pattern consists of the seasonally strong period in gold around the turn of the year, which is bisected by a mid to late December interim low in the gold price. An additional boost can be expected in January and Feburary from the strong seasonal uptrend in silver and platinum group metals as well (to see the seasonal PGM charts, scroll down to our addendum to this recent article...

There is no change to the risk budget this month. For the moderate risk investor the allocation to bonds is 50%, risk assets 45% and cash 5%. The extreme overbought condition of the US stock market persists so I will continue to hold a modest amount of cash. There are some minor changes within the portfolios but the overall allocation is unchanged. - Click to enlarge There have been two major developments since...

Gold Has Best Year Since 2010 With Near 14% Gain In 2017 – Gold posted second straight annual gain in USD in 2017– Gold in 2017: up 13.6% USD, up 2.7% GBP, down 1.4% EUR– 2017 is gold’s best year since 29.5% gain in 2010– Strong performance despite rate hikes and stock bubble  – India’s gold imports surged 67% in 2017, Turkish, Chinese demand strong – Gold finished 2017 with longest rally since June 2016 – 2018:...

Swiss Franc The Euro has risen by 0.37% to 1.1755 CHF. EUR/CHF and USD/CHF, January 04(see more posts on EUR/CHF, USD/CHF, ) Source: markets.ft.com - Click to enlarge FX Rates The US dollar is sporting a softer profile across the board, though remaining largely in the ranges seen over the past couple of sessions. At the same time, the news stream suggests that the global synchronized growth cycle strengthened...

- Click to enlarge To many, the question about the fate of the third major dollar rally since the end of Bretton Woods was resolved last year. The dollar fell broadly. It marked the end the greenback’s ride higher. However, I remain less convinced that this is really the case.  And that is what I discuss in this three-minute clip from Bloomberg’s What’d You Miss. What I focused on (here) was two-fold.  First, that...

The weakening of the franc against the euro in 2017 boosted Swiss exporters. (Keystone) - Click to enlarge Eight out of ten Swiss business executives anticipate a positive economic outlook for the country in 2018, according to an annual survey carried out by the SonntagsZeitung newspaper. Is it a sign that moods are changing after a 2017 that many would describe as turbulent? Or rather another indication of...

He's one of Switzerland's most famous 19th-century artists. Yet he's barely known to the general public in the US. Now the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery is presenting Ferdinand Hodler to its visitors in Washington. In this video, curator Robyn Asleson talks about the element of ecstasy in Hodler's work. (SRF/swissinfo.ch) --- swissinfo.ch is the international branch of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC). Its role is to report on Switzerland and to provide a Swiss perspective...

Happy 2nd Birthday Bail-in Tool! We Suggest Gold As The Perfect Gift – Two years since bail-in rules officially entered EU regulations– EU bail-in rules have wiped out billions for savers and and businesses, with more at risk– Future of many failing banks now rests on depositors who may no longer be protected by deposit insurance– Physical gold enables savers to stay out of banking system and reduce exposure to...

While the Western world was off for Christmas and New Year’s, the Chinese appeared to have taken advantage of what was a pretty clear buildup of “dollars” in Hong Kong. Going back to early November, HKD had resumed its downward trend indicative of (strained) funding moving again in that direction (if it was more normal funding, HKD wouldn’t move let alone as much as it has). China’s currency, however, was curiously...

A New Year of Symbiotic Disharmony The New Year is nearly here. The slate’s been wiped clean. New hopes, new dreams, and new fantasies, are all within reach. Today is the day to make a double-fisted grab for them. Without question, 2018 will be the year in which everything happens exactly as it should. Some things you will be able to control, others will be well beyond your control. Certainly, your ability to stop...