© Erix2005 | Dreamstime.com In 2018, Swiss Rail made a profit of CHF 568 million, 42.5% more than in 2017. Part of the rise was due to higher than average spending on maintenance in 2017. It is worth noting that Swiss Rail receives a large sum from taxpayers every year. In 2018, the company received CHF 3.5 billion of public funding, CHF 2.7 billion of it booked as income. Without this large lump of taxpayer help Swiss...
Read More »Watchdog confirms illegal activity by cryptocurrency firm Envion
The company is in the middle of bankruptcy proceedings handled by the Zug bankruptcy office. An investigation by the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) has revealed the that Zug-based cryptocurrency venture Envion unlawfully received deposits from at least 37,000 investors. Envion unlawfully accepted over CHF90 million ($90.5 million) in its Initial Coin Offering (ICO) without the necessary statutory...
Read More »Is the World Becoming Wealthier or Poorer?
There is nothing intrinsically profitable about either robotics or AI. At the request of colleague/author Douglas Rushkoff (his latest book is Team Human), I’m publishing last week’s Musings Report, which was distributed only to subscribers and patrons of the site.) The core assumption of Universal Basic Income (UBI) and other plans to redistribute wealth and income more broadly is that the world is becoming wealthier,...
Read More »Dépossession. Des politiques monétaires mortifères…
L’économie du pays est promise à un effondrement. Il suffit pour s’en convaincre de voir la quantité de surfaces commerciales disponibles. En Suisse, près de 1200 entreprises ont fait faillite entre janvier et février! L’information du jour est un non-évènement, puisque annoncé de longue date sur ce site. Par ailleurs, elle ne semble intéresser personne à Berne, dans les « agglomérations », ou autres »Régions »....
Read More »FX Daily, March 28: Brexit Uncertainty Deepens as Parliament is Divided, while Turkey’s Short Squeeze Falters
Swiss Franc The Euro has risen by 0.07% at 1.1192 EUR/CHF and USD/CHF, March 28(see more posts on EUR/CHF, USD/CHF, ) Source: markets.ft.com - Click to enlarge FX Rates Overview: The lurch lower in global interest rates continue. The US 10-year yield is at new 15-month lows, five basis points through the average effective Fed funds rate. Late yesterday, it appeared that 10-year German Bund yields slipped below...
Read More »Swiss chocolate consumption slides
© Astra490 | Dreamstime.com In 2018, Switzerland’s population consumed around 87,000 tonnes of chocolate. However, average chocolate consumption dropped from 10.5 kg per person in 2017 to 10.3 kg in 2018, a decline of roughly 2%. This decline reflects last year’s longer hotter summer, according to the industry association Chocosuisse. The fall in consumption of Swiss chocolate in Switzerland declined further, dropping...
Read More »Monthly Macro Monitor: Well Worried
Don’t waste your time worrying about things that are well worried. Well worried. One of the best turns of phrase I’ve ever heard in this business that has more than its fair share of adages and idioms. It is also one of the first – and best – lessons I learned from my original mentor in this business. The things you see in the headlines, the things everyone is already worried about, aren’t usually worth fretting...
Read More »Gold Gains On Recession Concerns and ‘No Deal’ Brexit Risks
– Gold gains due to concerns about slowing growth, monetary and geopolitical risks – Increasing possibility of ‘No Deal’ Brexit heightens recession risks in UK, Ireland – Brexit uncertainty is impacting UK & Irish economies; Likely do long term damage – UK sees sharp slowdown in mortgage approvals in February as housing market slows – Gold surges to near all time record highs in Australian dollars at $1,860/oz –...
Read More »FX Daily, March 27: Global Bond Rally Continues, Greenback Remains Firm
Swiss Franc The Euro has fallen by 0.05% at 1.1194 EUR/CHF and USD/CHF, March 27(see more posts on EUR/CHF, USD/CHF, ) Source: markets.ft.com - Click to enlarge FX Rates Overview: The US 10-year yield is trading below the Fed funds target. The two-year yield is trading below the lower end of the Fed funds target range. A warning by New Zealand that the next rate move could be a cut sent New Zealand and Australian...
Read More »Pound to Swiss Franc Forecast – Will GBP/CHF rates rise or fall on Brexit?
The Brexit date of 29th March has been delayed to the 12th April or the 22nd May as the EU provide a lifeline to the UK to help them avoid a no-deal scenario. This has helped the pound to rise and has provided some of the best rates to buy Swiss Francs in many months. The outlook for the pound is now looking much less rosy as investors await the latest news on Brexit and to see if the House of Commons will be likely to...
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