SNB & CHF

Perhaps the aliens’ keen interest in Earth’s central bank magic and its potential for destruction results from a wager. You’ve probably noticed the recent uptick in UFO sightings and video recordings from aircraft of the extraordinary flight paths of these unidentified objects. Perhaps it’s not coincidence that UFO sightings are soaring at the same time as central banks pursue unprecedented monetary policies. Imagine having the power to destroy an entire planet’s...

Four major forces shaped the investment climate in the first quarter: the evolution of the virus and the rollout of the vaccine, the rising long-term interest rates driven by higher oil prices, America’s large fiscal stimulus, and optimism about the outlook, a sharp divergence between the US and other high-income countries, and a recovery in the US dollar after sliding in November and December 2020. These forces will  continue to dominate at the start of the second...

Children working at a brick factory on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan, in 2019. Switzerland has joined a global platform to combat child labour, forced labour and human trafficking. Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. Economics Minister Guy Parmelin and the Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO), Guy Ryder, have concluded an agreement on development cooperation. Parmelin, who holds the rotating Swiss presidency this...

Allen Mendenhall joins the show to expand last week’s discussion on the intellectual state of America. Are we living in a decidedly anti-intellectual age, or has America always been predisposed toward doers over thinkers? Have Americans simply stopped reading books? Have we lost our ability to think deeply, due to the constant distractions of the digital age? And what does the shift away from any shared baseline cultural knowledge mean for our future? Don’t miss this...

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell analogized the central bank actions in March 2020 to the heroic evacuation of soldiers from Dunkirk in WW2. A more fitting analogy is the blunderous loss at Dunkirk that necessitated the rescue at all. Jeff Snider, Head of Global Investment Research for Alhambra Investments and Emil Kalinowski. Topics & Time Codes 00:05 Jerome Powell analogized the Fed actions in March 2020 to the WW2 Dunkirk rescue 01:27 Powell was interviewed by America's...

**This webcast originally aired live on Hedgeye.com on March 18, 2021** This is an exclusive "Hedgeye Investing Summit" interview between Jeffrey Snider, Head of Global Research at Alhambra Investments, and Hedgeye CEO Keith McCullough. Get access to Hedgeye's FREE Market Brief newsletter: https://hedgeye.com/marketbrief To watch other "Hedgeye Investing Summit" interviews, click here: https://app.hedgeye.com/feed_items/96265?with_category=17-insights

Last year a government report indicated that the law on Swissness contributes more than CHF1.4 billion ($1.48 billion) a year to the Swiss economy. © Keystone / Gaetan Bally Major industry associations have joined forces with public agencies to combat free-riders who abuse the “Swiss brand” abroad. The association for Swissness enforcement is intended to foster coordinated action against the wrongful use abroad of Swiss indications of source. It comprises 13 members,...

March 2021 was not a very special month. We could see some friends and family, which is always good. But of course, everything has to be done in small groups, so we do more invitations than usual. But there was no significant event during this month. It was a good month, though. Financially, March is always the month I receive my bonus. So this adds a lot to the income. And it is generally the best month of the year in terms of savings rate. This month, we managed...

01.04.2021 – Turnover adjusted for sales days and holidays rose in the retail sector by 6.9% in nominal terms in February 2021 compared with the previous year. Seasonally adjusted, nominal turnover fell by 5.5% compared with the previous month. These are provisional findings from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO). Real turnover adjusted for sales days and holidays fell in the retail sector by 6.3% in February 2021 compared with the previous year. Real growth...

01.04.2021 – The consumer price index (CPI) increased by 0.3% in March 2021 compared with the previous month, reaching 100.6 points (December 2020 = 100). Inflation was –0.2% compared with the same month of the previous year. These are the results of the Federal Statistical Office (FSO). The 0.3% increase compared with the previous month can be explained by several factors including rising prices for clothing and footwear due to the end of the seasonal sales. Heating...