Tag Archives: newsletter

The contours of the investment climate are unlikely to change based on next week’s economic data from the US, Japan, or Europe. The state of the major economies continues to be well understood by investors. Growth in the US, EU, and Japan remains solid, and if anything above trend, as the year winds down. The incremental data will likely show that the eurozone economic momentum is intact with the November flash PMI....

Stock Markets EM FX ended the week firm, and capped off a good week overall.  Best performers last week for ZAR and KRW, while the worst were TRY and IDR.  Until we get higher US rates, the dollar may remain under modest pressure.  This would help EM maintain some traction, though we remain cautious.     Stock Markets Emerging Markets, November 15 Source: econnomist.com - Click to enlarge Chile Chile will hold...

Swiss Franc The Euro has fallen by 0.07% to 1.1661 CHF. EUR/CHF and USD/CHF, November 15(see more posts on EUR/CHF, USD/CHF, ) Source: markets.ft.com - Click to enlarge FX Rates The euro and yen are extending their gains, casting a pall over the US dollar. The euro is extending its advance into a sixth consecutive session, which is the longest streak since May. It is approaching last month’s highs in the...

The bank has had various disputes with US authorities in recent years. (Keystone) Credit Suisse bank has been ordered to pay a fine of $135 million (CHF134.5 million) to the US authorities after an enquiry into the Swiss bank’s practices in setting foreign exchange rates. The figure was reached in a consultation between both parties. The bank confirmed the fine, as well as its willingness to pay it, in a...

Switzerland's justice minister Simonetta Sommaruga is part of the country's executive body (Keystone) - Click to enlarge Following revelations in the so-called “Paradise Papers” of questionable deals done by Swiss-based commodities companies in Africa, Switzerland’s justice minister has said that the country – historically hands-off in regulating the sector – needs new legislation to force those companies to...

The likelihood that either party will ever drain the fetid swamp of corruption that is our tax code is zero, because it’s far too profitable for politicos to operate their auction for tax favors. To understand the U.S. tax code and the endless charade of tax reform, we have to start with four distasteful realities: 1. Ours is not a representational democracy, it’s a political auction in which wealth casts the votes that...

USD/CHF USD/CHF, November 15(see more posts on EUR/CHF, ) Source: economies.com - Click to enlarge USD/JPY [embedded content] USD/JPY with Technical Indicators, November 15(see more posts on USD/JPY, ) - Click to enlarge EUR/USD [embedded content] EUR/USD with Technical Indicators, November 15(see more posts on EUR/USD, ) - Click to enlarge GBP/USD [embedded content] GBP/USD with Technical Indicators,...

See the introduction and the video for the terms gold basis, co-basis, backwardation and contango. A Different Vantage Point The prices of the metals were up slightly this week. But in between, there was some exciting price action. Monday morning (as reckoned in Arizona), the prices of the metals spiked up, taking silver from under $16.90 to over $17.25. Then, in a series of waves, the price came back down to within...

Swiss Franc The Euro has risen by 0.22% to 1.1646 CHF. EUR/CHF and USD/CHF, November 14(see more posts on EUR/CHF, USD/CHF, ) Source: markets.ft.com - Click to enlarge FX Rates Sterling is trading in the lower end of yesterday’s range and has been confined to about a quarter a cent on either side of $1.31. On the other hand, the euro has pushed a bit through GBP0.8950 to reach its best level since October 26....

While the gold price is slowly crawling upward in the shadow of the current cryptocurrency boom, China continues to import huge tonnages of yellow metal. As usual, Chinese investors bought on the price dips in the past quarters, steadfastly accumulating for a rainy day. The Chinese appear to be price sensitive regarding gold, as was mentioned in the most recent World Gold Council Demand Trends report, and can also be...