Monthly Archive: June 2021

Covid: Swiss cases down 44% this week as Delta looms

2021-06-25

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2021-06-25

This week, 880 new Covid-19 cases were recorded in Switzerland, down 44% from the week before (1,576). The daily number of cases on a 7-day rolling average is now 126. During the week, 22 people were reported being admitted to hospital in Switzerland with Covid-19.

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Prospects for China’s dual circulation strategy

2021-06-25

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2021-06-25

Once again, the 2021 National People’s Congress, held from March 5-11, followed a strict choreography. The political leadership entered the Great Hall of the People to the sound of a military band and led by state and party leader, President Xi Jinping.

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How the Swiss-based WHO BioHub is preparing for future pandemics

2021-06-25

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2021-06-25

The creation of a global repository in Switzerland to store, analyse and quickly share viruses and pathogens among laboratories around the world will better prepare us for the next pandemic, says a biologist working at the future BioHub site.

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FX Daily, June 24: Did the PBOC Signal it is Content with the Yuan’s Pullback?

2021-06-24

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2021-06-24

The US dollar is trading slightly lower against most of the major and emerging market currencies. The Scandis are leading the major currencies, while the Russian ruble leads the central and eastern European currencies higher. Emerging market currencies mostly firmer, though the Turkish lira and South African rand are notable exceptions.

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Steady increase of cross-border workers continued in 2020

2021-06-24

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2021-06-24

The number of cross-border workers plying their trade in Switzerland has more than doubled since the mid-1990s. The rising trend continues, increasing by over 4% between 2019 and 2020. At the end of 2020, some 343,000 cross-border workers were employed in Switzerland, up from 329,000 in December 2019, the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) said on Thursday.

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Pandemie beschleunigt bargeldloses Bezahlen

2021-06-24

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2021-06-24

Ein Drittel der Befragten gibt an, aufgrund der Pandemie das Zahlungsverhalten nachhaltig angepasst zu haben. (Bild: Shutterstock.com/Viktoriia Hnatiuk)Im Herbst 2020 hat die Schweizerische Nationalbank (SNB) nach 2017 ihre zweite repräsentative Zahlungsmittelumfrage durchgeführt.

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Can Economics Save Medicine?

2021-06-24

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2021-06-24

First, in a certain sense medicine in America is broken. Doctors and patients are unhappy, the quality of care deteriorates, and costs keep increasing. Even before covid, US life expectancy declined three years running. Even before covid, too many Americans were sick, depressed, fat, and unhappy with their physical and mental health.

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It Always Ends The Same Way: Crisis, Crash, Collapse

2021-06-24

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2021-06-24

Dysfunctional Markets
One of the most under-appreciated investment insights is courtesy of Mike Tyson: "Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth." At this moment in history, the plan of most market participants is to place their full faith and trust in the status quo's ability to keep asset prices lofting ever higher, essentially forever.

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FX Daily, June 23: Japan Retains Distinction of being the only G7 Country with Sub-50 PMI Composite

2021-06-23

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2021-06-23

Federal Reserve officials, lead by Chair Powell, pushed gently against the more hawkish interpretations of last week's FOMC meeting. Tapering not a rate hike was the focus of discussions. Powell reiterated that price pressures would prove transitory and would ease after the re-opening disruptions settled down.

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Swiss turning to new payment methods, but cash is still king

2021-06-23

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2021-06-23

The use of debit cards continues to increase but cash remains the most popular payment method in Switzerland. A survey by the Swiss National Bank (SNB) found that 97% of respondents keep cash in their wallets or at home to cover day-to-day expenses, while 92% own a debit card and 78% hold a credit card, according to a press release External linkon Wednesday.

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Sure Looks Like Supply Factors

2021-06-23

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2021-06-23

CME Random Length Lumber Futures, Jan 2020 - Jun 2021
If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it must be inflationary overheating. Or not? As more time passes and the situation further evolves, the more these recent price deviations conform to the supply shock scenario rather than a truly robust economy showing no signs of slowing down.

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FX Daily, June 22: Turn Around Tuesday or Dollar Rally Resumes?

2021-06-22

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2021-06-22

Firming long-term US yields have lent the dollar support after trading heavily yesterday. The greenback is around 0.15%-0.50% higher against the major currencies. The Japanese yen and Canadian dollar are among the more resilient, and the Australian dollar and sterling among the heaviest.

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What the Heck Just Happened to the Price of Gold and Silver?!

2021-06-22

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2021-06-22

Gold Basis and Co-basis and the Dollar Price
The price of gold (and silver) was on a tear in April and May. Then some sideways action. And then this week, thud. On Twitter, a popular meme is that the banks smashed the price by selling futures contracts, though there was no selling of gold bars. Let’s just say that if the price of an August contract fell by $120, while the price of a gold bar held steady, there would be a backwardation of around 40%!

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Weekly Market Pulse (VIDEO)

2021-06-22

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2021-06-22

Weekly Market Pulse on June 21, where we look at significant things from last week's events with Joe Calhoun.

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Covid-19 sent Swiss Energy Consumption Plummeting in 2020

2021-06-22

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2021-06-22

The Swiss consumed almost 11% less energy last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic and warmer weather, according to the Federal Office of Energy. In total, Swiss residents used up 747,400 terajoules (TJ) of energy in 2020 – a fall of 10.6% compared to 2019 - the office said in a statementExternal link on Monday.

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Swiss Cities Demand end to Opaque Cantonal Tax Competition

2021-06-22

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2021-06-22

The proposed 15% minimum corporate tax rate is an opportunity for Switzerland to unite its tax code for the better, says an organization representing Swiss cities. City finance directors have criticized cantons for trying to plug expected tax gaps unilaterally, rather than find a common approach nationwide.

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FX Daily, June 21: Dollar Surge Stalls

2021-06-21

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2021-06-21

Pressure on equities seen last week carried over into Asia and Europe today. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index fell for the fourth consecutive session, led by more than a 3% decline in the Nikkei. Australia, Taiwan, and Hong Kong bourses fell by more than 1%. European equities opened lower, but have turned higher.

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Covid: Delta variant does not worry Swiss vaccination commission

2021-06-21

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2021-06-21

Switzerland is well prepared to take on the Delta variant, said Christoph Berger, head of Switzerland’s federal vaccination commission. Based on what we currently know, there is no need to be concerned, he said, reported RTS.

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Swiss economy on way back to normal, says top treasurer

2021-06-21

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2021-06-21

Switzerland’s economy will be back to its pre-pandemic level as early as this year and does not need a stimulus package, says Sabine D'Amelio-Favez, director of the Federal Finance Administration. The Confederation has incurred debts of CHF30 billion ($33 billion) to stem the economic consequences of Covid-19, she said in an interview published on Saturday by newspapers of the CH Media group.

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The Fed Plans to Raise Interest Rates—Years from Now

2021-06-21

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2021-06-21

Federal Funds Target Rate, 2004 - 2021
On Wednesday, the Federal Reserve’s Federal Open Market Committee voted to continue with a target federal funds rate of 0.25 percent, and to continue with large-scale asset purchases. According to the committee’s press release:

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