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Why is everyone so angry? How can socialism possibly be on such a rise, particularly among younger people around the world? Why are Americans suddenly dying off? According to one study, two-thirds of millennials are convinced they are doing worse when compared to their parents’ generation. Sixty-two percent say they are living paycheck to paycheck, with no savings and no way to get any (though they also tend to “overspend” when compared to other age groups). Worst of...

◆ Indians diversify into gold coins, bars and jewellery because it never fails them in an emergency ◆ Indians are simply very prudent and practical and believe in channeling some of their wealth and saving into physical gold ◆ “A woman’s gold is both her personal treasure and plays a functional role as the family’s financial buffer” – Richard Davies ◆ Gold is an ‘obsession’ for very few people in the world today, including Indians, and most owners simply view it as a...

[From Socialism: An Economic and Sociological Analysis, by Ludwig von Mises, pp. 113–22.] All human action, so far as it is rational, appears as the exchange of one condition for another. Men apply economic goods and personal time and labour in the direction which, under the given circumstances, promises the highest degree of satisfaction, and they forego the satisfaction of lesser needs so as to satisfy the more urgent needs. This is the essence of economic...

Swiss Franc The Euro has risen by 0.06% to 1.0745 EUR/CHF and USD/CHF, January 17(see more posts on EUR/CHF, USD/CHF, ) Source: markets.ft.com - Click to enlarge FX Rates Overview: Helped by new record highs in the US, global stocks are moving higher today. Nearly all the markets in the Asia Pacific region advanced and the seventh consecutive weekly rally is the longest in a couple of years. Europe’s Dow Jones Stoxx 600 is at new record highs and appears set to...

The Producer Price Index (PPI) or officially named “Producer and Import Price Index” describes the changes in prices for producers and importers. For us it is interesting because it is used in the formula for the Real Effective Exchange Rate. When producers and importers profit on lower price changes when compared to other countries, then the Swiss Franc reduces its overvaluation. The Swiss PPI values of -6% in 2015 (see below), compared to -3% in Europe or -1% in...

USD/CHF holds onto recovery gains from a 16-month low. 200-hour SMA will please buyers during a sustained breakout. Bears may aim for September 2018 low following the downside break of the recent bottom. USD/CHF confronts a one-week-old falling trend line resistance while trading around 0.9650 during early Friday. The pair recently ticked up to 0.9654 but failed to extend the rise. Hence, buyers will look for entry above 0.9650/55 area while targeting a 200-hour...

SNB building in Bern According to provisional calculations, the Swiss National Bank (SNB) expects to make a profit of around CHF 49 billion in 2019. Most of this comes from the rising value of the SNB’s foreign currency positions (+CHF 40 billion) and a valuation gain on gold holdings (+CHF 6.9 billion). After adjusting reserves, the SNB will have CHF 88 billion available for distribution. Since the announcement SNB shares have risen 2% to CHF 5,600. The central bank...

The free market in Switzerland has built housing units that remain empty because they are too expensive, or in out-of-the-way places, says Marina Carobbio Guscetti. The Social Democrat senator believes that the initiative “More affordable housing” will fix these problems. It will help the middle class and the less well-off. Apart from health insurance premiums, rent is the biggest item in many family budgets. Since 2005, in spite of lower interest rates and a...

Last month, a group of central bank governors from across the South Pacific region gathered in Australia to move forward the idea of a KYC utility. If you haven’t heard of KYC, or know your customer, it is a growing legal requirement that is being, and has been, imposed on banks all over the world. Spurred by anti-money laundering efforts undertaken first by the European Union, more and more governments are forcing global banks to take part. KYC is a particularly...

There were no surprises in the US-China Phase One trade deal The dollar is drifting lower ahead of the key retail sales data; there are other minor US data out today Bank of England credit survey showed demand for loans fell in Q4 Turkey cut its one-week repo rate by 75 bps to 11.25%; South Africa is expected to keep rates steady at 6.5% Japan reported November core machine orders and December PPI; China’s credit numbers for December showed no big change in lending...