Tag Archives: Featured

Swiss Franc The Euro has risen by 0.40% to 1.1576 CHF. EUR/CHF and USD/CHF, June 15(see more posts on EUR/CHF, USD/CHF, ) Source: markets.ft.com - Click to enlarge The Dollar Index edged higher to its best level this year before turning down as market attention shifts from central banks to trade tensions. Reports confirm that the US will go ahead with the 25% tariff on $50 bln of Chinese goods and provide some...

The People’s Bank of China won’t update its balance sheet numbers for May until later this month. Last month, as expected, the Chinese central bank allowed bank reserves to contract for the first time in nearly two years. It is, I believe, all part of the reprioritization of monetary policy goals toward CNY. How well it works in practice remains to be seen. Authorities are not simply contracting one important form of...

Junk Bond Spread Breakout The famous dead parrot is coming back to life… in an unexpected place. With its QE operations, which included inter alia corporate bonds, the ECB has managed to suppress credit spreads in Europe to truly ludicrous levels. From there, the effect propagated through arbitrage to other developed markets. And yes, this does “support the economy” – mainly by triggering an avalanche of capital...

Outpatient treatment is expected to grow faster than inpatient care over the coming years The average Swiss will for the first time spend more than CHF10,000 ($10,159) on health care in 2018 and 2019, according to an economic research institute and think tank. KOF, part of the federal technology institute ETH Zurich, says this is down to the growing economy: the more people earn, the more they spend on their health. It...

Swiss Franc The Euro has risen by 0.43% to 1.1568 CHF. EUR/CHF and USD/CHF, June 14(see more posts on EUR/CHF and USD/CHF, ) Source: markets.ft.com - Click to enlarge The US dollar is slumping against all the major currencies in the aftermath of the hawkish Federal Reserve. In fact, the inability of the greenback to hold on to the gains scored in the initial reaction to the Fed’s hike, optimism on the economy,...

[embedded content] Interview with Joe Calhoun about BiWeekly Economic Review 15/06/2018. Related posts: Bi-Weekly Economic Review: As Good As It Gets? Bi-Weekly Economic Review – VIDEO Weekly SNB Intervention Update: SNB Resumes Interventions Bi-Weekly Economic Review: Oil, Interest Rates & Economic Growth Bi-Weekly Economic Review Bi-Weekly...

The Swiss National Bank (SNB) has signed a Statement of Commitment to the FX Global Code (“Code”), thereby demonstrating that its internal processes are consistent with the principles of the Code. It also expects its regular counterparties to adhere to the Code and comply with the agreed rules of conduct. Published on 25 May 2017, the Code outlines principles of good practice developed by central banks and market...

Neuchâtel, 7 June 2018 (FSO) – The Swiss hotel industry registered 16.5 million overnight stays during the winter tourist season (November 2017 to April 2018), i.e. an increase of 4.6% (+724 000) compared with the same period of the previous year. With a total 8.7 million overnight stays, foreign demand grew by 5.6% (+460 000). Domestic demand rose by 3.5% (+264 000) reaching 7.8 million units. These are the provisional...

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...

Last week, Vaud’s government announced a plan for future tax cuts. ©-Erix2005-_-Dreamstime.com_ - Click to enlarge The residents of Vaud are among the highest taxed in Switzerland. In 2016, a single person in Lausanne earning CHF 100,000 paid CHF 16,050 in cantonal and communal tax on top of CHF 1,840 of federal tax. This was the fourth highest across all of Switzerland’s 26 cantonal capitals, and almost triple Zug,...