SNB & CHF

via 20 Minutes. Residents of German-speaking Switzerland appear to doing less shopping across the border, something that has also been observed in Geneva. According to the newspaper the Handelszeitung, Swiss cross-border shopping peaked in 2015 and local customs posts have seen a decline in VAT and duty collected since March. At the border in Kreuzlingen, near Lake Constance, VAT and import duty collected was down 10%....

The Producer Price Index (PPI) or officially named "Producer and Import Price Index" describes the changes in prices for producers and importers. For us it is interesting because it is used in the formula for the Real Effective Exchange Rate. When producers and importers profit on lower price changes when compared to other countries, then the Swiss Franc reduces its overvaluation. The Swiss PPI values of -6% in 2015...

Swiss Franc  EUR/CHF - Euro Swiss Franc, October 14 2016(see more posts on EUR/CHF, ). - Click to enlarge FX Rates The US dollar is firm against most of the major currencies, but within yesterday’s ranges, which seems somewhat fitting amid the light new stream. The high-yielding Australian and New Zealand dollars are resisting the stronger greenback, while on the week the Aussie and the Canadian dollar are the...

Summary: China’s PPI rose for the first time in four years. It is related to the rise in commodities. Yet there are good reasons there is not a perfect fit between China’s PPI and commodity prices. US and UK CPI to be reported next week, risk is on the upside. China reported its first increase in producer prices in four years earlier today.  As one might suspect, producer prices are often driven by commodity...

SMI The Swiss Market Index is set to finish the week lower, but outperforming global stocks, thanks to a strong week of luxury good stocks. SMI Index, October 15. - Click to enlarge Economic Data Global stocks fell to their lowest levels since July on Thursday as investors rushed to the safety of government bonds, yen and gold after renewed concerns over weakness in the Chinese economy and as the Federal Reserve...

I am proud to have published essays by Zeus Y. since 2008. Part 2 will be published tomorrow. Ending a Taking Economy and Creating a Giving Economy: Confronting the Zero Interest Rate Policy (ZIRP) and Taking Effective Action by Zeus Yiamouyiannis (guest essay) Introduction The world can no longer afford a taking economy, where “make a killing” is the motto. Together we need to create a giving and sharing economy that...

The Swiss merchant navy celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2016. Up until the 1960s, the crews of Swiss ocean-going freighters were still mainly Swiss. (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 on international events. For more articles, interviews and videos visit swissinfo.ch or subscribe to our YouTube channel: Website: http://www.swissinfo.ch...

Swiss Franc The EUR/CHF remains in the range of 1.0815 to 1.0980. The SNB usually intervenes below 1.0850. I am expecting that speculators are reducing their CHF short positions. More tomorrow. EUR/CHF - Euro Swiss Franc, October 13 2016(see more posts on EUR/CHF, ). - Click to enlarge FX Rates The US dollar is firm, and the euro has slipped below $1.10 for the first time since late-July. Although the dollar’s...

Summary: The increase in the yen’s share of reserves was flattered by the yen’s 9% appreciation. The dollar and euro’s share of reserves were stable. Chinese integration has seen the share of unallocated reserves fall. Starting with Q3 data, (available end of March 2017) will break out the yuan’s share of reserves. The IMF provides the most authoritative data on central bank reserves. The composition is...

20 Minutes. Visa quotas for non-EU workers will rise next year. The increased quotas will include 3,000 B-permits and 4,500 L-permits, 1,000 more than this year. These limits are still lower than in 2014, when Swiss politics turned against the free movement of workers from the EU. 2014 quotas of 3,500 B-permits and 5,000 short-term L-permits, were reduced to 2,500 (B) and 4,000 (L), after a referendum to limit...