by George Dorgan
My articles My siteAbout meMy booksMy videos
Follow on:TwitterFacebookGoogle +
CFA SocietySeeking Alpha
SMI The Swiss Market Index is set to close lower this week underperforming global equities as US stocks reached new record highs and emerging markets outperformed on a weaker dollar. Click to enlarge. Oil also made further gains this week as investors bet that talks between OPEC members and other producers may result in action to stabilise the market in the coming weeks. Click to enlarge. Japan The week began with some gloomy economic data after reports showed on Monday that Japan’s second quarter GDP growth slowed more than forecast to 0.2%, reflecting a drag on exports from a stronger JPY and a drop in business investment. In Europe, the final release of second-quarter GDP showed that growth halved to 0.3% and that a better-than-forecast expansion in Germany was offset by a surprise stagnation in Italy. Speculation that central banks will remain accommodative in response to the lackluster economic outlook bolstered market sentiment, supporting equity prices. On Wednesday, the Federal Reserve’s latest minutes were released and showed dampened prospects for a US interest-rate hike which was also a positive catalyst for investor confidence. The dollar weakened against all its major peers. Click to enlarge.
Topics:
George Dorgan considers the following as important: Business & Economy, Editor's Choice, Featured, newsletter, SMI, Swiss market, Swiss Markets News, Swiss Shares
This could be interesting, too:
Investec writes Migration between Swiss cantons – gainers and losers
Investec writes Commission wants to postpone pension hike funding question
Alex J. Pollock writes How Does the Federal Reserve Fit into Our Constitutional Order?
Investec writes Swiss house prices fall in the first quarter of 2024
SMIThe Swiss Market Index is set to close lower this week underperforming global equities as US stocks reached new record highs and emerging markets outperformed on a weaker dollar. |
 Click to enlarge. |
| Oil also made further gains this week as investors bet that talks between OPEC members and other producers may result in action to stabilise the market in the coming weeks. |
 Click to enlarge. |
JapanThe week began with some gloomy economic data after reports showed on Monday that Japan’s second quarter GDP growth slowed more than forecast to 0.2%, reflecting a drag on exports from a stronger JPY and a drop in business investment. In Europe, the final release of second-quarter GDP showed that growth halved to 0.3% and that a better-than-forecast expansion in Germany was offset by a surprise stagnation in Italy. Speculation that central banks will remain accommodative in response to the lackluster economic outlook bolstered market sentiment, supporting equity prices. On Wednesday, the Federal Reserve’s latest minutes were released and showed dampened prospects for a US interest-rate hike which was also a positive catalyst for investor confidence. The dollar weakened against all its major peers. |
 Click to enlarge. |
Swiss Economic DataIn Switzerland, the Credit Suisse ZEW indicator, which gauges analysts’ expectations for Switzerland’s economy for the coming six months, fell by 8.7 points in August and now stands at a level which suggests that the Swiss economy will move sideways in the coming quarters. |
 Click to enlarge. |
Swiss CompaniesIn company news, Geberit was amongst the biggest winners this week as the company’s guidance suggests upside to its current full year estimates. The company’s upbeat outlook comes from strong performance in central Europe, Nordic countries and France. Nestlé also released second quarter results this week, reporting its slowest first-half sales growth since 2009 as the world’s biggest food company struggled to raise prices. However, chief executive officer Paul Bulcke said in the statement that the company expects price inflation to recover in the coming months. |
 Click to enlarge. |