Tag Archives: Featured

Turn on, Tune in, Drop out Back in the drug-soaked, if not halcyon, days known at the sexual and drug revolution—the 1960’s—many people were on a quest for the “perfect trip”, and the “perfect hit of acid” (the drug lysergic acid diethylamide, LSD). Dr. Albert Hoffman and his famous bicycle ride through Basel after he ingested a few drops of LSD-25 by mistake. The photograph in the middle was taken at the Woodstock...

We do not like Purchasing Power or Real Effective Exchange Rate (REER) as measurement for currencies. For us, the trade balance decides if a currency is overvalued. Only the trade balance can express productivity gains, while the REER assumes constant productivity in comparison to trade partners. Who has read Michael Pettis, knows that a rising trade surplus may also be caused by a higher savings rate while the trade...

G20 finance ministers and central bank governors attending the 2018 World Bank Group/IMF Spring Meetings in Washington on April 20, 2018 (Keystone) - Click to enlarge Relations between Switzerland and the United States have improved under the Trump administration, Finance Minister Ueli Maurer told Swiss public radio, SRF, on Saturday. Maurer is heading a Swiss delegationexternal link, together with Economics...

Swiss Franc The Euro has fallen by 0.23% to 1.1944 CHF. EUR/CHF and USD/CHF, April 24(see more posts on EUR/CHF, USD/CHF, ) Source: markets.ft.com - Click to enlarge GBP/CHF The pound to Swiss Franc rate has traded in a fairly tight range this week as a lack of any new fresh information to drive financial markets so far. A major driver for the Franc has been risk-sentiment as investors attitudes to risk shape...

It is not that the Australian dollar is the weakest currency this month. Its 0.4% decline puts it among the better performers against the US dollar. However, it has fallen to a new low for the year today. The losses have carried to a trendline drawn off of the early 2016 low near $0.6800. The trendline has been drawn on this Great Graphic composed on Bloomberg. It is found today near $0.7625 and rises by about seven...

Stock Markets EM FX came under renewed pressure last week as US yields rose to new highs for the cycle. RUB and TRY were the top performers last week, while MXN and COP were the worst. There are no Fed speakers this week due to the embargo ahead of the May 2 FOMC meeting. While we see little chance of a hike then, markets are likely to remain nervous. Stock Markets Emerging Markets, April 18 - Click to enlarge...

– Silver bullion remains good value on positive supply and demand factors– Industrial demand set to continue to climb from 2017, into 2018 and beyond– Speculators are bearish on silver as net short positions in silver futures reach record– Investment demand sees silver ETF holdings at eight-month high of 665.4 million ozs– 2017 saw fifth consecutive annual physical deficit in scrap silver, of 26 moz– Global silver mine...

Swiss Franc The Euro has fallen by 0.23% to 1.1944 CHF. EUR/CHF and USD/CHF, April 23(see more posts on EUR/CHF, USD/CHF, ) Source: markets.ft.com - Click to enlarge FX Rates The new week has begun much like last week ended, with rising rates helping to extend the dollar’s recent gains. The US 10-year yield is flirting with the 3.0% threshold. The two-year yield is firmer, and, like in the second half of last...

– New all time record highs for gold in 2019– ‘Powerful bull market’ will likely send gold to $5,000 to $10,000– If USD & Treasuries keep falling, stocks may decline at ‘moment’s notice’– Traditional portfolio of stocks and bonds will not protect investors– “Gold will replace bonds as the go-to hedge” by Brian Delaney of Secure Investments Gold is gaining momentum after a 5-year consolidation and is set to...

The digital revolution has launched a wave of innovation in the world’s cities, says MIT’s Carlo Ratti, providing opportunities to improve urban mobility and create better workspaces for the changing nature of work. These are exciting times for cities, according to Carlo Ratti, Director of MIT’s Senseable City Lab and co-founder of Carlo Ratti Associati architecture studio. Although they occupy just 2 per cent of the...