From the official news release Interim results of the Swiss National Bank as at 30 June 2017 The Swiss National Bank (SNB) reports a profit of CHF 1.2 billion for the first half of 2017. A valuation gain of CHF 0.3 billion was recorded on gold holdings. The profit on foreign currency positions amounted to CHF 0.1 billion and the profit on Swiss franc positions stood at CHF 0.9 billion. The SNB’s financial result...
Read More »FX Daily, July 31: Monday Morning Blues
Swiss Franc The euro is up by 0.15% to 1.1385 CHF EUR/CHF and USD/CHF, July 31(see more posts on EUR/CHF, USD/CHF, ) Source: markets.ft.com - Click to enlarge FX Rates The US dollar is enjoying a respite from the recent selling, but its gains have been shallow, and will likely prove brief. The upticks have been concentrated in the recently high-flying dollar-bloc currencies, and sterling. The tone appears to be...
Read More »Weekly Speculative Positions (as of July 25): Speculators Continue to Pour into Australian and Canadian Dollar Futures
Swiss Franc Speculators were net short CHF in January 2015, shortly before the end of the peg, with 26.4K contracts. Then again in December 2015, when they expected a Fed rate hike, with 25.5K contracts. The biggest short CHF, however, happened in June 2007, when speculators were net short 80K contracts. Shortly after, the U.S. subprime crisis started. The carry trade against CHF collapsed. The...
Read More »Swiss Labour Force Survey and its derivative statistics: working hours: Hours worked increased in 2016
Neuchâtel, 27.07.2017 (FSO) – The total number of hours worked in Switzerland reached 7.892 billion in 2016, representing an increase of 1.4% compared with the previous year. According to the Federal Statistical Office (FSO), between 2011 and 2016, the actual weekly hours worked by full-time employees declined by 13 minutes and stood at 41 hours and 10 minutes, whereas the number of weeks of annual holiday continued its...
Read More »FX Weekly Preview: The Dollar may Need more than a Strong Employment Report
Summary: For the US jobs data to rally the dollar, it needs to increase the likelihood of a Fed hike in September, a high bar. The BOE will stand pat, a 6-2 vote would likely be accompanied by a hawkish inflation report. The RBA will also hold rates steady, and of course, it would prefer a weaker currency. The tide of sentiment has turned against the dollar. The enthusiasm seen in the second part of last year,...
Read More »Emerging Markets: Preview of the Week Ahead
Stock Markets EM FX was mixed last week, as markets await fresh drivers. Jobs report this Friday could provide greater clarity with regards to Fed policy. BOE and RBA meet but aren’t expected to change policy. Data is likely to reinforce the notion that inflation remains low in EM, allowing those central banks to remain dovish. Czech National Bank is the main exception, as it may start the tightening cycle this week....
Read More »FX Weekly Review, July 24 – July 29: Swiss Franc getting crushed
Swiss Franc vs USD and EUR The Swiss franc was the only major foreign currency that fell against the dollar last week. The 2.6% decline was the largest in two years. Stops triggered in the euro-franc cross, reports of direct investment-related franc sales for yen, and conviction that the SNB will lag behind the other central banks is thought to be behind the move. The dollar high in June was near CHF0.9785, and the...
Read More »FX Daily, July 28: Dollar and Equities Closing Week on Heavy Note
Swiss Franc The franc is off another 0.5% today, to bring its weekly loss to a sharp 2.5%. EUR/CHF and USD/CHF, July 28(see more posts on EUR/CHF, USD/CHF, ) Source: markets.ft.com - Click to enlarge FX Rates The US dollar is mostly lower, though one of the features of recent days has been the dramatic slide of the Swiss franc, and that is continuing today. The euro finished last week near CHF1.1030 and is now...
Read More »Swiss franc weakens to symbolic low
The Swiss franc has fallen to its lowest point since the January 2015 unpegging of the currency from the euro. The symbolic moment will be a huge relief to Swiss exporters and the tourism industry. As of Thursday morning, the franc was trading at 1.12 to the euro, a drop of 1.8 percent since Monday. It is the weakest level reached since the decision by the Swiss National Bank (SNB) to remove the cap two-and-a-half years...
Read More »The Myth of India’s Information Technology Industry
A Shift in Perception – Indians in Silicon Valley When I was studying in the UK in early 90s, I was often asked about cows, elephants and snake-charmers on the roads in India. A shift in public perception— not in the associated reality — was however starting to happen. India would soon become known for its vibran As more IT graduates from India moved to the US to work, they lobbied to change how India was viewed,...
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