SNB & CHF

Standard deviation (sigma σ) measures volatility or the dispersion of random values around the mean of a variable such as a portfolio or individual stock prices, but does not measure the direction of a trend. Standard Deviation as volatility measure What has become the bedrock of finance is an out-of-date almost universally accepted finance theory, which uses the statistical normal distribution (the Gaussian bell curve) as the measure of risk per se. In reality stocks are found not to be...

Bill Bonner, founder of Agora Financial, joins the show to discuss the hysteria preceding Janet Yellen's announcement last week that the Fed would not raise interest rates. We also consider various ugly endgames for the US dollar, and whether federal debt will all come crashing down with a bang or a whimper.

Bill Bonner, founder of Agora Financial, joins the show to discuss the hysteria preceding Janet Yellen's announcement last week that the Fed would not raise interest rates. We also consider various ugly endgames for the US dollar, and whether federal debt will all come crashing down with a bang or a whimper.

Organic farming is booming in Switzerland. But there is a knowledge gap. The FiBL Research Institute for Organic Agriculture is looking at new organic technologies for farmers around the globe. Conventional farming is on the decline in Switzerland while organic is steadily growing, with 12% of all Swiss farms now certified as organic producers. An important source of know-how is the FiBL Research Institute for Organic Agriculture. FIBL tests new technologies and passes the findings on to...

Some say gymnastics clubs are like the glue holding Swiss communities together - and they are still going strong despite challenges from newer fitness forms. (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:...

While wolves are making a comeback in Switzerland they are also encroaching on mountain pastures, leaving behind a trail of dead sheep. In Switzerland, wolves, bears and lynx have long been extinct. But they have reappeared in the last couple of decades, crossing the border from their natural habitats in neighbouring countries. In 2014 the Federal Office for the Environment compensated livestock owners for the killing of 212 farm animals that had been attacked by wolves. At the beginning of...

In the famous Sherlock Holmes Story, the detective identified the perpetrator from the fact that a dog didn’t bark. The dog didn’t bark because it knew the perpetrator. This story makes a good analogy to what happened on Thursday, Sep 17. Perhaps I should say what did not happen. The Fed did not raise the interest rate. In fact, the Fed would bankrupt itself if it tried to raise rates significantly. However, it had set everyone’s expectations that it would hike interest. It risks losing...

Will Gold Outperform Stocks? Will gold outperform? With the paperocentric theory, this is hard to answer. We have to estimate increases in the quantity of dollars and calculate how much it will cause prices to rise. Then we have to somehow put a value on gold. It boils down to a guess. The Bull Market in Stocks May Be Over The great stock bull market is, perhaps, done. To most people, a bull market is good, and its end is bad. After all, a rising market signifies a healthy economy....

The prices of the metals moved up a bunch this week, with gold + $32 and silver +$0.55. We have seen some discussion of gold backwardation in the context of scarcity, and hence setting expectations of higher prices. That’s good, as the swings from contango to backwardation and back are the only way to understand changing supply and demand in the market. You should be cautious about trading news. With Fed’s meeting, gold and silver prices moved to backwardation: Future delivery prices are...

The prices of the metals moved up a bunch this week, with gold + $32 and silver +$0.55. We have seen some discussion of gold backwardation in the context of scarcity, and hence setting expectations of higher prices. That’s good, as the swings from contango to backwardation and back are the only way to understand changing supply and demand in the market. You should be cautious about trading yesterday’s news. There was indeed backwardation in gold and silver. However, the cobasis is a...