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Additional data on money market operations and more frequent publication of volume of foreign exchange market interventions From 30 September 2020, the Swiss National Bank will be publishing more detailed data on its money and foreign exchange market operations on its data portal. Regarding money market operations, the SNB will now publish information on the conditions and volume of individual monetary policy-related transactions at the end of each month for the...

© Arturs Budkevics | Dreamstime.com As winter approaches the federal and cantonal governments of Switzerland are hoping a larger number of people than normal will get the seasonal flu jab as the spread of Covid-19 continues, according to RTS. In a regular year Switzerland orders 1.2 million doses of the seasonal flu vaccine. These doses have already been ordered and will be delivered in late September and early October. This year the federal government is aiming for...

When the Belle-Idée project is fully up and running, three shuttle buses will offer a 24-hour on-demand door-to-door service at the Geneva hospital site. swissinfo.ch Over the past five years, various kinds of autonomous vehicles, including buses, have popped up on Swiss roads. But though testing continues, a driverless future might yet be some years away. On a crisp autumn morning in the Geneva countryside, a bright orange-and-white electric bus is winding through...

A Fed survey of expectations shows that the consumer mood darkens on employment and job prospects. Job Transitions This chart shows the changes in employment status of respondents who were  employed four months ago. The Fed survey asks individuals currently employed (excluding self-employment) whether they are working in the same job as when they submitted their last survey. If in the past four months they have answered that they now work for a different employer,...

Anxiety about an increase in Covid19 cases and fears of a second wave coupled with revelations of historic money laundering practices of major global banks weighed heavily on financial markets yesterday. Precious metals were not immune to the sell off which saw gold below $1,900 and silver off a whopping 12% during intraday trading. The following charts show the short term support that halted the rout in precious metals by the end of the day. With the negative news...

Die Eidgenössische Finanzmarktaufsicht FINMA hat in einem Enforcementverfahren festgestellt, dass die Bank SYZ SA gegen die Geldwäschereibestimmungen verstossen hatte. Die Verstösse erfolgten im Kontext einer sehr bedeutenden Geschäftsbeziehung mit einem Kunden aus Angola. Im Februar 2020 eröffnete die FINMA ein Enforcementverfahren gegen die Bank SYZ SA, um Hinweisen auf Verstösse gegen die Geldwäschereibestimmungen nachzugehen. Diese Hinweise betrafen eine sehr...

FINMA described the bank’s money laundering processes as “inadequate” and reprimanded it for a breach of its duty of due diligence in relation to anti-money laundering rules. © Keystone / Gaetan Bally The Swiss financial market regulator FINMA has reprimanded Bank Syz for breaching money laundering rules involving a business relationship with an Angolan client. “FINMA found that the bank did not make sufficient efforts to investigate the substantial growth in the...

Some countries like India have made rapid antigen tests a key part of their strategy for containing the coronavirus. Keystone / Str Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche plans to launch a test that can detect the coronavirus in 15 minutes. Could tests like this become the norm? With no vaccine in sight for at least a few months, testing is becoming a more important part of containing the coronavirus. Antigen tests, which detect the presence of a specific viral antigen...

Interview with Robert Mark: Claudio Grass (CG): In this surreal policy environment, how has the role and the investment process of the value investor evolved, especially over the last decade?  How can one still identify value in a world of subsidized binge borrowing, extreme indebtedness, and stock buybacks?  Robert Mark (RM): The patriarch of value investing, Ben Graham, once said, “In the short run the market is a voting machine, but in the long run it is a...

Markets are digesting the rising infection rates across Europe; the dollar is taking another stab at the upside Speculation is picking up that a compromise on a stimulus package could be reached; reports suggest House Democrats are working on a new $2.4 trln package as a basis for these negotiations Reports suggest Fed Governor Lael Brainard is a top candidate for Treasury Secretary if Biden were to win; today is a quiet day in the US Colombia is expected to cut...