Swiss Franc The Euro has fallen by 0.03% at 1.1277 EUR/CHF and USD/CHF, September 12(see more posts on EUR/CHF, USD/CHF, ) Source: markets.ft.com - Click to enlarge FX Rates The dollar has been confined to about 10 pips on either side of JPY111.55. There are $1.13 bln of options struck between JPY111.50 and JPY111.65 that expire today. Dollar support extends to JPY111.20-JPY111.30. It has not traded above JPY112.00...
Read More »Switzerland Q2 growth numbers are impressive, but details are mixed
The latest headline Swiss GDP figures were impressive. According to the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs’ (SECO) quarterly estimates, Swiss real GDP grew by 0.7% q-o-q in Q2 (2.9% q-o-q annualised, 3.4% y-o-y), slightly above our 0.6% projection and consensus (0.5% q-o-q). This was the fifth consecutive quarter with an above average rate. Q1 GDP growth was significantly revised up to 1.0% q-o-q (from 0.6%). Thus,...
Read More »Great Graphic: Did the CRB Bottom?
The CRB index has been trending lower since late May. It fell nearly 10% to retrace 50% of the rally come June 2017. This Great Graphic shows the 4 1/2 month trendline. It had been violated in late August but fell back under it at the end of last week. On Monday, it gapped higher, above the trendline. Today it filled the gap and rallied to new session highs. A move above 192.00 would likely confirm a bottom of some...
Read More »Rep. Alex Mooney: Bring Back Gold!
This article originally appeared here. Washington has been quite the circus lately. Bret Kavanaugh’s appearance in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee prompted dozens of interruptions from Democrats and numerous protests from leftists. During Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey’s testimony to the House Commerce Committee, journalist Laura Loomer demanded to be verified on the social media platform, and Representative Billy Long...
Read More »FX Daily, September 11: Dollar May Prove Resilient if it is Turn Around Tuesday
Swiss Franc The Euro has fallen by 0.17% at 1.1282 EUR/CHF and USD/CHF, September 11(see more posts on EUR/CHF, USD/CHF, ) Source: markets.ft.com - Click to enlarge FX Rates The euro and sterling extended their recovery from the US hourly earnings lows seen before the weekend. However, the move stalled in the European morning, after the UK reported better than expected earnings itself. Sterling approached the 61.8%...
Read More »Why the Fed Denied the Narrow Bank, Report 9 Sep 2018
It’s not every day that a clear example showing the horrors of central planning comes along—the doublethink, the distortions, and the perverse incentives. It’s not every year that such an example occurs for monetary central planning. One came to the national attention this week. A company called TNB applied for a Master Account with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Their application was denied. They have sued....
Read More »Cool Video: What Earth Really Looks Like
Here is the challenge: Representing a three-dimensional object in two-dimensions. It is impossible to do without distortions. Those distortions can reflect cultural biases as well as the function of the map, such as for navigation purposes. The Mercator Projection, which generates the map that may be most familiar, dates back to the 16th century. It projects the image on to a cylinder, where parallels of latitude are as...
Read More »Global Asset Allocation Update – September 2018
The risk budget is unchanged again this month. For the moderate risk investor, the allocation between bonds and risk assets is 50/50. Decoupling anyone? That’s what the market is whispering right now, that the recent troubles in foreign economies is contained and won’t affect the US. The most obvious example of that trend is the performance of US stocks versus the rest of the world. I am painfully aware of the...
Read More »Takeovers and trade at heart of minister’s China visit
The Swiss economics minister is in Beijing to meet his Chinese counterparts. It is unfair that whilst Chinese investors can buy Swiss companies the reverse is not possible, says economics minister Johann Schneider-Ammann, who is currently on a visit to China. In an interview with the “Schweiz am Wochenende” newspaper, he reiterated his view that this must be rectified. For infrastructure like electricity supply and...
Read More »FX Daily, September 10: Initial Extension of Euro and Sterling Losses Stall
Swiss Franc The Euro has risen by 0.82% at 1.1289 EUR/CHF and USD/CHF, September 10(see more posts on EUR/CHF, USD/CHF, ) Source: markets.ft.com - Click to enlarge FX Rates The US dollar’s pre-weekend gains were extended against most the major currencies, but the euro, sterling, and Australian dollar have recovered in the European morning. Emerging markets currencies are mixed. The euro fell to almost $1.1525 in...
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