Tag Archives: newslettersent

The app of Airbnb, a website for people to list, find and rent lodging, and other apps on a smart phone (Keystone) Online accommodation platforms such as Airbnb have negative effects on the Swiss housing market and lead to fewer homes available for tenants and higher rental prices, a study has revealed. According to a survey by the Inura Zurich Institute, commissioned by the Zurich Tenants’ Associationexternal link and...

– Perth Mint gold coins see sales double on month in September – Perth Mint silver bullion coin sales surge 78% in September – Perth Mint sold 46,415 ounces of gold in September– Nearly six times more gold coins sold at Perth Mint than U.S. Mint in September – Sales surge at Perth Mint from low base; could indicate trend change and higher demand in coming months Gold Coin Sales, Aug 2012 - Jul 2017(see more posts on...

Auto sales rebounded sharply in September, with most major car manufacturers reporting better numbers. Sales at Ford were up 8.9% last month from September 2016; +11.9% at GM; Toyota +14.9%; Nissan +9.5%; Honda +6.8%. The only negatives were reported by FCA (-9.7%) and Mercedes (-1.7%). US Vehicle Sales, Jan 2014 - Jul 2017(see more posts on vehicle sales, ) - Click to enlarge  The question is whether these...

The True Believer How is it that seemingly intelligent people, of apparent sound mind and rational thought, can stray so far off the beam?  How come there are certain professions that reward their practitioners for their failures? The central banking and monetary policy vocation rings the bell on both accounts.  Today we offer a brief case study in this regard. Photo credit: Linda Davidson / The Washington Post -...

Neuchâtel, 5.10.2017 (FSO) – The consumer price index (IPC) increased by 0.2% in September 2017 compared with the previous month, reaching 100.9 points (December 2015=100). Inflation was 0.7% compared with the same month of the previous year. These are the results of the Federal Statistical Office (FSO). Switzerland Consumer Price Index (CPI) YoY, Sep 2017(see more posts on Switzerland Consumer Price Index, )...

Swiss Franc The Euro has fallen by 0.03% to 1.1461 CHF. EUR/CHF and USD/CHF, October 05(see more posts on EUR/CHF, USD/CHF, ) Source: markets.ft.com - Click to enlarge FX Rates The US dollar is mostly little changed as the broad consolidation that has emerged this week continues. The two powerful forces that have emerged–expectation of a Fed hike at the end of the year and European political challenges–appear to...

There is a difference between reflation and recovery.  The terms are similar and relate to the same things, but in many ways the latter requires first the former.  To get to recovery, the economy must reflate if in contraction it was beaten down in money as well as cyclical forces. In the Great Crash of 1929 and after, reflation was required because of the wholesale devastation of the money supply.  By pumping up new...

Swiss Franc The Euro has risen by 0.17% to 1.1452 CHF EUR/CHF and USD/CHF, October 03(see more posts on EUR/CHF, USD/CHF, ) Source: markets.ft.com - Click to enlarge FX Rates Firm US interest rates and a strong manufacturing ISM yesterday help support the greenback, while disappointing construction PMI in the UK weighs on sterling. The euro briefly slipped below $1.17 in Asia for the first time in six weeks. It...

(summary of presentation  based on my book, Political Economy of Tomorrow, delivered to Bank Credit Analyst conference yesterday) Alice laughed. There is no use trying; she said, “one can’t believe impossible things.” I dare say you haven’t had much practice, said the queen. When I was younger, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast. — Lewis...

Today we’ll continue to size up the bull market in governmental promises. As we do so, keep an old trader’s slogan in mind: “That which cannot go on forever, won’t.” Or we could say it differently: An unsustainable trend must eventually stop. Lately I have focused on the trend in US public pension funds, many of which are woefully underfunded and will never be able to pay workers the promised benefits, at least without...