The Swiss central bank confirmed a record CHF54 billion overall profit in 2017 (Keystone) - Click to enlarge The Swiss National Bank (SNB) was less active on the foreign exchange markets last year, acquiring CHF48.2 billion ($50.8 billion) in foreign currency to weaken the franc. On Thursday, the central bank nonetheless confirmed massive profits on currency holdings in 2017. In 2017, the SNB purchased...
Read More »Why the World’s Central Banks hold Gold – In their Own Words
Collectively, the central bank sector claims to hold the world’s largest above ground gold bar stockpile, some 33,800 tonnes of gold bars. Individually within this group, some central banks claim to be the top holders of gold bullion in the world, with individual holdings in the thousands of tonnes range. This worldwide central bank group, also known as the official sector, spans central banks (such as the Deutsche...
Read More »New CHF200 banknote to be introduced in August
The CHF200 note will be unveiled to the public on August 15 and join the new CHF50, CHF20 and CHF10 notes of the same series already in circulation (Keystone) - Click to enlarge The Swiss National Bank (SNB) has announced that the latest addition to the new banknote series – the CHF200 note ($209) – will go into circulation on August 22. The brown note’s key motif will be physical matter. It will “showcase...
Read More »SNB confirms record profit for 2017
The Swiss National Bank (SNB) published its 2017 annual result today. The SNB confirmed a profit of CHF54.4bn in 2017. This was more than double the 2016 figure (CHF24.5bn) and its biggest profit ever. Earnings from the SNB’s foreign currency positions amounted to CHF49.7bn, its gold holdings increased in value by CHF3.1bn and its Swiss positions by CHF2bn (see Chart below). The CHF2bn profit the SNB made on its Swiss...
Read More »SNB reports a profit of CHF 54.4 billion for 2017
(Several calculation mistake were corrected) The increasing volatility of SNB Earnings Annual results are not really definite. Given that the SNB accumulates foreign currencies with interventions, they have huge swings. But the SNB may lose 50 billion in one year and win 60 billion in the next year or vice verse SNB Results Longterm 2017 - Click to enlarge Annual result of the Swiss National Bank for 2017...
Read More »E-franc pipe dream fails to arouse Switzerland
In Switzerland, where cash is king, a national crypto currency has failed to turn heads (Keystone) - Click to enlarge Mounting calls for Switzerland to introduce a blockchain-based national cryptocurrency continue to fall on deaf ears at the Swiss National Bank (SNB). Romeo Lacher, chairman of the SIX Groupexternal link that runs the Swiss stock exchange, recently added his voice to the debate by advocating...
Read More »Currency swap agreement between the Swiss National Bank and the Bank of Korea
- Click to enlarge The Swiss National Bank (SNB) and the Bank of Korea (BOK) will enter into a bilateral swap agreement. The agreement will be signed on 20 February 2018 in Zurich by the Chairman of the SNB Governing Board, Thomas Jordan, and the Governor of the BOK, Juyeol Lee. The swap agreement enables Korean won and Swiss francs to be purchased and repurchased between the two central banks, up to a limit of KRW...
Read More »South Korea and Switzerland set a currency swap
The Swiss National Bank will sign the agreement with the Bank of Korea later in February (Keystone) - Click to enlarge South Korea and Switzerland are entering into a bilateral currency swap agreement, it was announced on Friday. The move is aimed at strengthening buffers against external financial shocks for both countries. “The swap agreement enables Korean won and Swiss francs to be purchased and...
Read More »SNB Rejects Vollgeld and Questions ‘Reserves for All’
In the NZZ, Peter Fischer reports that SNB president Thomas Jordan rejects the Vollgeld initiative and stops short of endorsing the ‘reserves for all’ proposal. … wehrt sich die Nationalbank auch gegen Vorschläge aus akademischen Kreisen, die von der Nationalbank fordern, nicht mehr nur Banken, sondern auch direkt den Schweizer Bürgern elektronisches Zentralbankgeld zur Verfügung zu stellen. Am einfachsten ginge dies,...
Read More »SNB Rejects Vollgeld and Questions ‘Reserves for All’
In the NZZ, Peter Fischer reports that SNB president Thomas Jordan rejects the Vollgeld initiative and stops short of endorsing the ‘reserves for all’ proposal. … wehrt sich die Nationalbank auch gegen Vorschläge aus akademischen Kreisen, die von der Nationalbank fordern, nicht mehr nur Banken, sondern auch direkt den Schweizer Bürgern elektronisches Zentralbankgeld zur Verfügung zu stellen. Am einfachsten ginge dies, wenn jedermann bei der SNB ein Konto halten könnte. Jordan warnt...
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