The dollar has gotten some limited traction despite the dovish FOMC decision; the FOMC delivered no surprises We are seeing some more movement on fiscal stimulus; August retail sales disappointed yesterday Fed manufacturing surveys for September will continue to roll out; weekly jobless claims will be reported; Brazil left rates unchanged at 2.0% but introduced some additional dovish guidance BOE is expected to deliver a dovish hold; UK government reached a...
Read More »Federal Judge: Pennsylvania’s Stay-at-Home Order Is an Assault on Human Rights
A federal judge on Monday ruled that Pennsylvania governor Tom Wolf’s covid-19 stay-at-home orders and forced business closures were unconstitutional. US district judge William Stickman IV of the US District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania ruled that Wolf’s orders violated the Constitution in three ways. They violated the First Amendment right to freedom of assembly, and they violated both the due process and equal protections clauses of the...
Read More »FX Daily, September 18: When Every Thing is Said and Done, More is Said than Done
Swiss Franc The Euro has risen by 0.13% to 1.0775 EUR/CHF and USD/CHF, September 18(see more posts on EUR/CHF, USD/CHF, ). FX Rates Overview: Asia Pacific equities have taken the march on the US. Led by a 2% rally in Shanghai, most regional markets but Australia closed the week with gains. A two-week fall in the MSCI Asia Pacific Index has been snapped. European stocks are little changed, and the Dow Jones Stoxx 600 is holding on to its second week of gains. It...
Read More »Weekly View – No breakfast at Tiffany’s
The impact of political tensions on business is ever more apparent: LVMH of France will not, after all, proceed with the purchase of Tiffany of the US. If, as seems likely, the hand of the French government was involved, this is solid evidence that political sensitivities are increasingly influencing cross-border deals – something that is likely to remain the case just as M&A in general has been declining. Volatility is on the rise across most assets,...
Read More »Toxins found in popular Swiss tourist spot
The Blausee is one of the most popular mountain lakes in Switzerland Keystone Carcinogenic toxins have seeped into the groundwater at the Blausee in the Bernese Oberland, killing thousands of fish, say the owners of the lake’s fish farm. They point the finger at companies renovating the Lötschberg summit tunnel and the authorities. Groundwater measurements at the gravel works near Blausee had shown that the concentration of so-called PAHs (polycyclic aromatic...
Read More »12 States That Keep Retirement Dollars in Your Pocket
“Will I outlive my money?” That’s one of the biggest concerns for most retirees. There’s the high cost of medical care, which gets more expensive all the time. There’s inflation, which raises the cost of goods and services, eating into your retirement budget. And then, there’s taxes, which are as certain as death, and the politicians who want to raise them. So, if taxes are an issue where you live, and you’re thinking about moving to a place that’s more economically...
Read More »Clay Miller: An Entrepreneurial Journey to New Lands, New Organizational Designs, and New Value
Key Takeaways The entrepreneurial instinct can be sparked in K-12 and around the family dinner table. An entrepreneurial culture is highly beneficial to society at the global, national, and local levels. We should examine how well we nurture the entrepreneurial instinct in K-12 schooling and in the discussions we have with our kids at home. Clay Miller got a Commodore 64 (you can look it up!) when he was 11 years old, and his interest in computing, software and...
Read More »The Saving Problem in America: Alternatives and Reforms
Since before covid-19 and the lockdown, I have written articles that touch on the purpose and importance of personal savings, and more importantly, why the lack of personal savings was going to make an economic crisis in the year 2020 potentially tragic for most Americans. As a result, I have been interviewed a couple of times specifically on the topic of personal savings. These interactions have indicated to me that people do not understand the importance of savings...
Read More »FX Daily, September 17: Powell Lets Steam Out of Equities and Spurs Dollar Short-Covering
Swiss Franc The Euro has risen by 0.02% to 1.0743 EUR/CHF and USD/CHF, September 17(see more posts on EUR/CHF, USD/CHF, ) Source: markets.ft.com - Click to enlarge FX Rates Overview: Profit-taking after the FOMC meeting saw US equities and gold sell-off. The high degree of uncertainty without fresh stimulus did not win investors’ confidence. The Fed signaled rates would likely not be hiked for the next three years, and without additional measures, that appears...
Read More »Referendum: Swiss to vote on ending EU agreement
© Miriam Doerr | Dreamstime.com On 27 September 2020, Swiss voters have many decisions to make. This time the list of votes includes decisions on fighter jets, hunting, tax deductions for child care and paternity leave. Probably the most important among them is a decision on whether to accept a proposal to end the EU agreement on the free movement of people between Switzerland and the bloc, known as the Limitation Initiative. The agreement between Switzerland and the...
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