SNB & CHF

EM assets for the most part fared well last week, and positive sentiment should carry over into this week.  China reported January foreign reserves over the weekend, and they fell less than expected to $3.231 bln.  China markets are closed this week for the New Year holiday.  While there should be little risk of negative headlines from the mainland, markets should watch how CNH trades in the offshore markets that are open. Oil prices should also be regarded as an important factor behind...

Many markets are closed in Asia, and although Tokyo managed posted equity gain, most other markets in the region that were open fell.  And the selling pace picked up in Europe.  The Dow Jones Stoxx 600 is off 2.3%, led by information technology, industrials, and consumer discretionary.     It is trading at new lows since late-2014.   It is the sixth consecutive losing session, which is the longest such streak in seven months.    Rather than a new trigger, the equity losses today seem to...

Many markets are closed in Asia, and although Tokyo managed posted equity gain, most other markets in the region that were open fell.  And the selling pace picked up in Europe.  The Dow Jones Stoxx 600 is off 2.3%, led by information technology, industrials, and consumer discretionary.     It is trading at new lows since late-2014.   It is the sixth consecutive losing session, which is the longest such streak in seven months.  Rather than a new trigger, the equity losses today seem to be...

Wow, did the dollar move down this week! It dropped more than it has in quite a while. It fell 1.3mg gold, or 0.1g silver. Gold and silver bugs of course are excited, as they look at it as the prices of the metals going up $55 and 72 cents respectively. The collapse of what most think of as money—including especially said gold and silver bugs—is great fun and profitable. At least if you’re short the dollar. By the way, when we say the dollar fell we do not mean in terms of its derivatives...

Wow, did the dollar move down this week! It dropped more than it has in quite a while. It fell 1.3mg gold, or 0.1g silver. Gold and silver bugs of course are excited, as they look at it as the prices of the metals going up $55 and 72 cents respectively. The collapse of what most think of as money—including especially said gold and silver bugs—is great fun and profitable. At least if you’re short the dollar. By the way, when we say the dollar fell we do not mean in terms of its derivatives...

The most important on China.

The most important on China.

With many equity markets having fallen 20% from their peaks, meeting a common definition of a bear market, investors, analysts, and journalists understandably seek a narrative that gives it meaning.  At the very start of the year, the culprit singled out was drop in Chinese shares and the yuan.  However, the yuan has stabilized as the PBOC drew down another $100 bln of reserves in January to help ease the pressure what appears to at least in part be a speculative attack by hedge funds (who...

With many equity markets having fallen 20% from their peaks, meeting a common definition of a bear market, investors, analysts, and journalists understandably seek a narrative that gives it meaning.  At the very start of the year, the culprit singled out was drop in Chinese shares and the yuan.  However, the yuan has stabilized as the PBOC drew down another $100 bln of reserves in January to help ease the pressure what appears to at least in part be a speculative attack by hedge funds (who...

In December 2015, the seven year Joseph cycle ended with a Fed rate hike. These lean years of the Joseph cycle started in December 2008 when the Fed lowered rates to the current level. We think that in the next seven year cycle, even the risk-averse Swiss investors will buy more foreign assets, not only the central bank and speculators. Different crises have passed in the three parts of the world, the U.S. subprime, the euro crisis and the Emerging Markets crisis. The last one culminated...