Monthly Archive: March 2018

Gold Corridor From Dubai to China Sought By China

2018-03-03

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2018-03-03

Joseph Chan Ho-lim, Cheung Tak-hay
Gold corridor from Dubai to China sought by Chinese Gold & Silver Exchange Society. New Asian gold trading corridor could boost demand for 1 kg gold bars. Should increase turnover for yuan-denominated gold coins and bars – President. Secure supplies of physical gold from Middle East and Asia for China. China positioning itself as leading gold trading and owning nation.

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Emerging Markets: What Changed

2018-03-03

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2018-03-03

China plans to change its constitution to eliminate term limits for President Xi Jinping. Bank Indonesia Deputy Governor Perry Warjiyo was nominated by President Widodo to be the next Governor. Bank of Korea Governor Lee was reappointed by President Moon for a second term. Hungary ruling party candidate lost the mayoral vote in Hodmezovasarhely. S&P upgraded Russia to BBB- with stable outlook.

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Our Fragmented Labor Markets Defy Outdated Conventions

2018-03-03

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2018-03-03

Annual Growth of Hourly Earnings, Jan 1965 - 2018
There are hundreds of extraordinarily diverse labor markets in the U.S. economy, and it takes a much more granulated approach to make any sense of this highly fragmented and dynamic marketplace. onventional economists/media pundits typically view the labor market as monolithic, i.e. as one unified market. The reality is the labor market is highly fragmented. Thus it's little wonder that conventional measures are giving mixed signals on employment,...

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Purchasing Power Parity or Nominal Exchange Rates?

2018-03-03

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2018-03-03

Big Mac Index
“An alternative exchange rate – the purchasing power parity (PPP) conversion factor – is preferred because it reflects differences in price levels for both tradable and non-tradable goods and services and therefore provides a more meaningful comparison of real output.” – the World Bank

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Switzerland: So far so good

2018-03-02

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2018-03-02

According to the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO)’s quarterly estimates, Swiss real GDP rose by 0.6% q-o-q in Q4 (2.4% q-o-q annualised; 1.9% y-o-y), above consensus expectations (0.5%). The Swiss economy expanded by 1.0% in 2017 overall, in line with our own forecast. This comes after GDP growth of 1.4% in 2016 and 1.2% in 2015.

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Who will tackle Italy’s root problems?

2018-03-02

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2018-03-02

Average Monthly Voting Intentions, Jan 2016 - Jan 2018
The Italian general election campaign is in its final stretch before voting on 4 March. The election will take place under the new electoral law (Rosatellum bis), which allocates 37% of parliamentary seats via the principle of "first-past-the-post" and 61% via proportional representation, with the remaining 2% reserved for overseas constituencies (see our previous Flash Note for further details).

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FX Daily, March 02: Markets Unanchored?

2018-03-02

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2018-03-02

The announcement of the US intention to impose tariffs on imported steel and aluminum on national security grounds has sent ripples through the capital markets. Yet there is certainly more going on here than that. The tariffs, justification, and magnitude have indicated and expected. After reversing lower on Tuesday and selling off on Wednesday, equity investors hardly needed a fresh reason to sell on Thursday.

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First of new Bombardier trains makes maiden voyage

2018-03-02

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2018-03-02

After years of delay, the double-decker train named ‘FV-Dosto’ completed its first rail journey on Monday. The fate of the rest of the 62-train fleet still pends on a court decision following a legal challenge by disabled groups.

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Career Advice to 20-Somethings: Create Value as a Mobile Creative

2018-03-02

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2018-03-02

Federal Government; Consumer Credit, Student Loans; Asset, Level, 2005 - 2018
Finding work that fits who you are is rarely easy, especially if you don't fit into the mainstream, and usually it requires a lot of compromises, hard work and dead-ends. But that’s the process. Establishing a satisfying career is difficult in today's economy, doubly so for those who find life within hierarchical institutions (corporate America and government) unrewarding, and triply so for those burdened with student loan debt and college...

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Socialism and Capital Consumption

2018-03-02

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2018-03-02

A Soviet Propaganda Poster
We have been promising to get back to the topic of capital destruction, which we put on hiatus for the last several weeks to make our case that the interest rate remains in a falling trend. Today, we have a different way of looking at capital destruction.

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Switzerland GDP Q4 2017: +0.6 percent QoQ, +1.9 percent YoY

2018-03-01

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2018-03-01

Switzerland Gross Domestic Product (GDP) YoY, Q4 2017
Switzerland’s real gross domestic product (GDP) grew by an above-average 0.6% in the 4th quarter of 2017.1 Growth was broad-based across the various business sectors, with manufacturing, construction and most service sectors, particularly financial services, providing momentum. On the expenditure side, growth was underpinned by consumption and investment in construction but was hindered by investment in equipment and foreign trade.

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Swiss Retail Sales, January: -0.8 Percent Nominal and -0.6 Percent Real

2018-03-01

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2018-03-01

Switzerland Retail Sales YoY, Mar 2013 - Mar 2018
Turnover in the retail sector fell by 0.8% in nominal terms in January 2018 compared with the previous year. Seasonally adjusted, nominal turnover fell by 0.6% compared with the previous month. These are provisional findings from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO).

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FX Daily, March 01: USD Snaps 3-Month Slide, Firm Ahead of Powell Part II

2018-03-01

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2018-03-01

The US dollar rebounded last September and October before the downtrend resumed in November, and lasted through January. The dollar gained broadly last month, except against the yen, which rose almost 2.4% in February. This pattern is evident today, the first trading day of March. The dollar is extending its gains against most currencies but is only managing to consolidate in a narrow range against the yen.

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Bi-Weekly Economic Review: One Down, Three To Go

2018-03-01

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2018-03-01

US Leading Index, 1984 - 2018
We pay particular attention to broad based indicators of growth. The Chicago Fed National Activity Index and the Conference Board’s Leading Economic Indicators are examples. We watch them because we are mostly interested in identifying inflection points in the broad economy and aren’t as interested in the details. Why? Because, while bear markets do happen outside of recession, it is rare and unpredictable.

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Swiss rail cargo to cut over 750 jobs in the hunt for efficiency

2018-03-01

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2018-03-01

The cargo division on the Swiss Federal Railways has announced plans to cut 760 jobs in the coming years. The company currently employs around 2,300 staff in Switzerland. Company boss Nicolas Perrin revealed the job cut measures on Saturday in the weekly Schweiz am Wochenende. According to him, the administrative section of the firm is still too big despite already planning a reduction of 80 posts.

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Digital Gold Provide the Benefits Of Physical Gold?

2018-03-01

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2018-03-01

Ripple, Bitcoin, Ethereum
Will digital gold provide the benefits of physical gold? Digital gold and crypto gold products claim to combine efficiencies of blockchain with value of gold. They are yet to provide the same benefits or safety as owning physical gold. National mints jumping in on the ‘sexy blockchain’ act. BOE declares bitcoin ‘not a currency;’ Royal Mint launches blockchain gold product.

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