Tag Archives: Featured

SECO director Ineichen-Fleisch defended the agency’s handling of the arms deal. The head of a Swiss federal office says its handling of export permits for arms manufacturers is improving in the wake of a criminal probe into past shipments. An internal review cleared a federal employee of wrongdoing after prosecutors questioned the handling of a Bernese arms manufacturer’s requests to ship weapons to Kazakhstan in 2008...

– Bitcoin volatility shows not currency or safe haven but speculation – Volatility still very high in bitcoin and crypto currencies (see charts) – Bitcoin fell 25% over weekend; Recent high of $3,000 fell to below $1,900 – Bitcoin least volatile of cryptos, around 75% annualised volatility – Gold much more stable at just 10% annualised volatility – Bitcoin volatility against USD about 5-7 times vol of traditional...

Swiss watch sales abroad have stabilised so far this year (Keystone) Pharmaceutical and chemical goods pushed Swiss exports to record highs in the first half of this year. The value of goods sold abroad peaked at CHF109.6 billion ($105 billion) in the first six months of 2017 – a 4.4% rise on the previous year. Swiss exports were further boosted by resurgence in demand from China that saw a 20% increase in value of...

There isn’t a day that goes by in 2017 where some study is released or anecdote is published purporting a sinister labor market development. There is a shortage of workers, we are told, often a very big one. The idea is simple enough; the media has been writing for years that the US economy was recovering, and they would very much like to either see one and be proven right (and that recent revived populism is...

What Constitution? One of the many downfalls of being the United States Secretary of the Treasury is the requirement to place one’s autograph on the face of the Federal Reserve’s legal tender notes. There, on public display, is an overt record of a critical defect.  A signature endorsement of a Federal Reserve note by the Treasury Secretary represents their personal ratification of unconstitutional money. If you...

A former Credit Suisse banker pleaded guilty on Wednesday to charges of aiding Americans in hiding millions of dollars from US tax authorities. Credit Suisse was fined in 2014 for helping US tax avoiders. Susanne Rüegg-Meier, who worked in the Zurich office of Credit Suisse between 2002 and 2011, entered the guilty plea while on trial in a federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, for conspiring to defraud the United...

– Gold hedge against currency devaluation – cost of fuel, food, housing – True inflation figures reflect impact on household spending– Household items climbed by average 964%– Pint of beer sees biggest increase in basket of goods – rise of 2464%– Bread rises 836%, butter by 1023% and fuel (diesel) up by 1375%– Gold rises 2672% and hold’s its value over 40 years– Savings eaten away by money creation and negative interest...

Summary South Korea proposed resuming military and humanitarian exchanges with North Korea. The European Union may sanction Poland over its controversial judicial overhaul. Turkish Prime Minister Yildirim announced a cabinet shuffle after meeting with President Erdogan. Turkey’s worsening relations with Germany will come with economic costs. South African Reserve Bank surprised markets by starting the easing cycle with...

Swiss Economics Minister Johann Schneider-Ammann on Tuesday expressed satisfaction with his two days of meetings with senior Trump administration officials, capping efforts to boost cooperation between Switzerland and the United States on education, jobs and trade. He also invited Ivanka Trump,  the daughter and adviser to US President Donald Trump, and other Trump administration officials to visit Switzerland so that...

The term “ghost city” is a loaded one, often deployed to skew toward a particular viewpoint. In the context of China’s economy, it has become shorthand for perhaps the largest asset bubble in human history. While that may ultimately be the case, in truth China’s ghost cities aren’t about the past but its future. There is a great deal that is misunderstood about the country’s path toward urbanization and modernity. A...