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For most of this decade owning gold and gold-related investments has required the patience of Job, and the sector is so obscure that it is hard to be sure of anything. But for months now the unusual developments have been piling up so much that it may be possible to regain some optimism. There are indications of a shortage of metal not just at the New York Commodities Exchange, where for months now most contracts have been settled through a supposedly “emergency”...

For most so-called practical economists, information regarding the state of an economy is derived from data. Thus, if an economic statistic such as real gross domestic product or industrial production shows a visible increase, it is considered indicative of a strengthening of the economy. Conversely, a decline in the growth rate is regarded as weakening. It seems that by looking at the data one can ascertain economic conditions. Is this the case, though? The...

The year is winding down quietly, and the last week of 2019 is likely to be more of the same. The general mood of the market is quite different than a year ago. Then investors had marked down equities dramatically amid fears of what was perceived as a synchronized downturn. Now with additional monetary easing in the pipeline and renewed expansion of the Federal Reserve and European Central Bank’s balance sheets, risk appetites have been stoked. Previously, the notion...

The Swiss position will be a disappointment for Mark Zuckerberg, chairman and CEO of Facebook Facebook’s Libra project needs reworking to be approved, according to the president of Switzerland, where the cryptocurrency is seeking regulatory consent. “I don’t think [Libra has a chance in its current form], because central banks will not accept the basket of currencies underpinning it,” Finance Minister Ueli Maurer, who held the rotating presidency in 2019, told Swiss...

Die Grünenpolitikerin Greta Gysin (TI) hat einen Vorschlag zur Berücksichtigung von ökologischen Aspekten bei Investitionen unterbreitet. “Wir müssen die Kosten solcher Investments internalisieren”, sagte sie dem “Tages-Anzeiger” vom Samstag. “Es ist heute viel zu günstig, in dreckige Geschäfte zu investieren, weil die Allgemeinheit die Kosten trägt”, erklärte Gysin. Eine solche Vorgehensweise bei klimaschädigenden Investitionen hätte echte Konsequenzen, betonte...

If we set out to design a highly addictive platform that optimized the most toxic, destructive aspects of human nature, we’d eventually come up with social media. Social problems arise when initially harmless addictions explode in popularity, and economic problems arise when the long-term costs of the addictions start adding up. Political problems arise when the addictions are so immensely profitable that the companies skimming the profits can buy political influence...

Existing Swiss Air Force F-18 – © Andrew David Periam | Dreamstime.com Before Christmas, Switzerland’s parliament approved the purchase of a new fleet of fighter jets costing CHF 6 billion, according to RTS. The plan, which aims to defend Swiss airspace beyond 2030, has now been approved by both Switzerland’s upper and lower houses. Any contract to supply the aircraft will require a foreign supplier to invest in related industries in Switzerland. Some have described...

Swiss Franc The Euro has risen by 0.05% to 1.0893 EUR/CHF and USD/CHF, December 27(see more posts on EUR/CHF, USD/CHF, ) Source: markets.ft.com - Click to enlarge Overview: Equities are finishing the holiday-shortened week on a firm note, encouraged by strong holiday internet sales in the US. Most markets in the Asia Pacific region advanced except China and Thailand, while Japanese markets were mixed after weak industrial output and retail sales. The MSCI Asia...

USD/CHF fails to hold on to previous gains as broad weakness of the USD joins risk reshuffle. US-China trade optimism confronts Brexit risk while Japan’s data-dump joins China’s Industrial Production data. Swiss ZEW Survey, trade/political updates will be in the spotlight. With the broad US Dollar (USD) weakness joining hands with mixed fundamental catalysts, USD/CHF drops to 0.9810 amid the initial Friday trading. The greenback seems to have lost its allure amid the...

Neuchâtel – © Adwo | Dreamstime.com In 2018, the number of people receiving social welfare in Switzerland fell from 278,300, or 3.3% of the population, to 272,700, 3.2% of the population. The last time the number fell was in 2008 when it dropped from 3.1% (233,500) to 2.9% (222,600) of the population. The percentage of people on welfare varies significantly by type of household, nationality and canton. Rates are far higher for single parent households (21%) than...