Swiss Franc The Euro has fallen by 0.07% at 1.111 EUR/CHF and USD/CHF, June 27(see more posts on EUR/CHF, USD/CHF, ) Source: markets.ft.com - Click to enlarge FX Rates Overview: The approaching month/quarter-end and the G20 meeting dominate considerations. Although the S&P 500 closed on its lows for the third consecutive session yesterday, Asia Pacific equities liked the apparent increase in the prospect of a...
Read More »Swiss central bank asked to issue stock exchange digital currency
The Swiss central bank produces paper money for general use, but will only contemplate digital currencies for specific industry use cases. The Swiss stock exchange wants the country’s central bank to issue a form of cryptocurrency to settle payments on its new digital securities trading platform. If the Swiss National Bank (SNB) agrees, it would represent a departure from its cautious policy on digital currencies. Stock...
Read More »‘Mature’ Swiss crypto industry demands banking access
A Korean delegation visited Switzerland’s Crypto Valley last autumn. Representatives from Switzerland’s growing cryptocurrency and blockchain sector say it has matured into a viable and respectable industry that demands to be taken seriously by banks. “The hype, nonsense and scams have gone away,” says Daniel Haudenschild, President of the Crypto Valley Associationexternal link (CVA), referring to a “wild west” phase...
Read More »Complaint filed against Federer and other Instagram influencers
The Swiss Foundation for Consumer Protection accuses Swiss influencers of not correctly labelling certain Instagram posts as advertising. A Swiss consumer protection organisation has filed a complaint against Swiss tennis star Roger Federer and several other celebrity “influencers”, accusing them of “stealth advertising” on Instagram and other social media sites. The Swiss Foundation for Consumer Protectionexternal link...
Read More »Local Government Is an Engine of Inflation
Insolvency isn’t restricted to private enterprise; governments go broke, too. One reason the economy is so much more precarious than advertised is inflation has pushed households and small businesses to the edge–and one engine of that inflation is local government. This is not to dump on local government, which is facing essentially unlimited demands from the public for more services while mandated cost increases in...
Read More »FX Daily, June 26: Biggest Drop in the S&P 500 in June Weighs on Global Equities
Swiss Franc The Euro has risen by 0.06% at 1.109 EUR/CHF and USD/CHF, June 26(see more posts on EUR/CHF and USD/CHF, ) Source: markets.ft.com - Click to enlarge FX Rates Overview: The S&P 500 fell nearly one percent yesterday, its steepest fall this month and this was a weight on Asia Pacific and European activity. Most markets have eased, though not as much as the US did. Hong Kong, India, and Singapore were...
Read More »Swiss monetary policy – it’s (almost) all about the Swiss franc
With the ECB and the Fed both signalling their readiness to provide further stimulus, the Swiss National Bank is unlikely to have smooth sailing over the coming months. How the Swiss National Bank (SNB) reacts to further stimulus by its US and European counterparts will be the key focus of the coming months for investors. We believe that the Swiss central bank will be reluctant to cut rates in direct response to the...
Read More »Gold boosted by dovish central banks
Bar a further major escalation in trade tensions, it is hard to see much more upside for gold in the short term. We remain more upbeat over the medium term. The gold price soared to a fresh five-year high on 20 June following a dovish Fed monetary policy meeting. Indeed, the dovish shift among major central banks (with the sole exception of the Norges Bank) and high global uncertainty have pushed global yields lower...
Read More »Federal fat cats see bonuses fall
There has been pressure to curb the earnings of top executives in Switzerland. The salaries of top managers at Swiss government-affiliated companies shrank last year due to smaller bonuses, according to a federal report published on Friday. Top state earner, Andreas Meyer, head of Swiss Federal Railways, saw his earnings fall below CHF1 million for the first time: down to CHF987,442 ($1 million) from CHF1,007,000 in...
Read More »Cool Video: Sketch of Bullish Case for Gold
I know some people who are always bullish gold. I am not. In fact, I often think I can find higher returning assets. However, I have recently have turned bullish gold, and while in Toronto on business, I was invited to the set of Bloomberg to discuss my change of heart. Many of the reasons the gold bugs cite would seem to justify owning gold bullion not paper claims on gold, like gold mining companies or gold ETFs. The...
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