A worker assembles a coffee grinder at Schaetti, the holding company of Olympia Express, in Schwanden, Switzerland Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Switzerland are optimistic about export business at the start of 2019, a new survey has found, with over half expecting foreign sales to grow during the year. “The export climate will remain favourable for Swiss SMEs in 2019,” wrote the authors of a Switzerland...
Read More »Monthly Macro Monitor – January 2019
A Return To Normalcy In the first two years after a newly elected President takes office he enacts a major tax cut that primarily benefits the wealthy and significantly raises tariffs on imports. His foreign policy is erratic but generally pulls the country back from foreign commitments. He also works to reduce immigration and roll back regulations enacted by his predecessor. This President is widely rumored to have...
Read More »GBPCHF rates hit near 3-month highs
The Pound to Swiss Franc exchange rate has soared dramatically following a series of revelations in the currency markets and global economy. A big factor is of course Sterling strength, which has arisen on the back of increased feelings that the UK will avoid a no-deal Brexit. This could manifest next week in a Parliamentary vote on whether or not to rule out a no-deal Brexit. The Pound is much stronger on this news,...
Read More »Half of Swiss happy with their finances
© Pavalache Stelian | Dreamstime.com A recent survey suggests that half of Swiss residents are satisfied with their financial situation. 6% said they have trouble making ends meet. In addition, 28% expect their finances to improve in 2019. Fewer women (25%) are optimistic than men (33%). 18% expect their finances to worsen and 54% expect no change. Views varied significantly by age group. 40% of those under 36 expected...
Read More »The Ruling Elites Love How Easily We’re Distracted and Turned Against Each Other
No wonder the ruling elites love how easily we’re distracted and divided against ourselves: it’s so easy to dominate a distracted, divided, blinded-by-propaganda and negative emotions populace. Let’s say you’re one of the ruling elites operating the nation for the benefit of the oligarchy. What’s the best way to distract the populace from your self-serving dominance in a blatantly neofeudal system? 1. Provide modern-day...
Read More »Update on euro area economic activity
The balance of risks to growth in the region is still tilted to the downside. The big question about the euro area economy is when the bottom of the slowdown will be reached. A rebound was already expected in Q4 2018, but at the start of this year there are still few signs of recovery. Flash composite PMI numbers for the region declined by 0.4 points to 50.7 in January, the weakest level since July 2013. New orders and...
Read More »FX Daily, January 25: Euro Pares Yesterday’s Losses and Sterling Pulls Back after topping $1.31
Swiss Franc The Euro has risen by 0.44% at 1.1313 EUR/CHF and USD/CHF, January 25(see more posts on EUR/CHF, USD/CHF, ) Source: markets.ft.com - Click to enlarge FX Rates Overview: The US dollar is paring yesterday’s gains against most of the major and emerging market currencies. Sterling pushed above $1.31, an 11-week high on news that the DUP would support Prime Minister’s Plan B that calls for limits on the...
Read More »Folgt nun der umgekehrte Frankenschock?
An ihrer ersten Sitzung im neuen Jahr hat die Europäische Zentralbank (EZB) ihren Kurs bestätigt. Das Wertschriftenkaufprogramm ist definitiv beendet. Fortan kauft sie netto keine zusätzlichen Anleihen mehr zu. Sondern sie ersetzt nur noch die bestehenden Papiere, die sie in ihrem Portefeuille hält. Läuft eine Anleihe aus, erwirbt sie mit den Mitteln vergleichbare Anleihen, mehr nicht. Der Unterschied: Bisher druckte...
Read More »Summary of Fox Biz Talk
I had a brief talk on the set with of Fox Business with Varney & Co today, but there is no video available. We began by talking about stocks. For several weeks, I have been suggesting to viewers that the S&P 500 could recover to 2700. Last Friday, the S&P 500 gapped higher and reached 2675. I did not like the gap and thought it would be quickly filled. That was yesterday. And after IBM earnings surprise and...
Read More »Swiss organic farm output doubles
Between 1999 and 2017 the amount of organic food produced on Swiss farms more than doubled. © Stefano Ember -Dreamstime.com_ - Click to enlarge In 1999, 5.3% of Switzerland’s farm output was organic. By 2017 this figure had risen to 11.7%. In 1999, Swiss farms produced CHF 562 million worth of organic food. In 2017, they produced CHF 1.2 billion. Consumers are spending more and more on organic produce. From 1998 to...
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