Less scope for yen and Swiss franc depreciation
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Author: Luc Luyet
Categories: Pictet Macro Analysis, Swiss and European Macro
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The start of the year has seen the Japanese yen and Swiss franc appreciate strongly against the US dollar (they rose by 5.6% and 4.4% respectively between 1 January and 22 February) despite higher US yields. However, this rise in US yields came with heightened market volatility, favouring safe haven currencies such as the yen and franc.
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2017 sees big boom in internet shopping
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Author: Swissinfo
Categories: Swiss Markets and News
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Swiss consumers are increasingly turning to the internet for shopping. Online sales were up by 10% in 2017, with a 23% increase in online purchases from abroad. The total sales generated from online shopping in 2017 was CHF8.6 billion ($9.2 billion) last year, with CHF1.6 billion going to companies abroad, The Association of Swiss Mail Order Companies (VSV)external link, the market research company GfK and Swiss Post revealed on Tuesday.
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Switzerland’s Gotthard Base Tunnel wins European Railway Award
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Author: Swissinfo
Categories: Swiss Markets and News
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The 2018 European Railway Award has been awarded to two pioneers of the Gotthard Base Tunnel, the longest rail tunnel in the world that runs under the Gotthard massif in the Swiss Alps. Peter Jedelhauser of Swiss Railways and Renzo Simoni, former CEO of AlpTransit Gotthard AG, received the award on Tuesday evening in Brussels “on behalf of everyone involved in building and putting Gotthard Base Tunnel into operation”.
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Russian Central Bank Buys Gold – 600,000 Ounces Or 18.7 Tons In January As Venezuela Launches ‘Petro Gold’
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Author: Mark O'Byrne
Categories: GoldCore
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Russian central bank buys gold – large 600,000 ounces or 18.7 tons of gold in January. Russia increased its holdings to 1,857 tons, topping the People’s Bank of China’s ‘reported’ 1,843 tons. Russia surpasses China as 6th largest holder of gold reserves – after U.S., Germany, IMF, Italy and France. Turkish central bank added 205 tons “over 13 consecutive months” – Commerzbank
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Emerging Markets: What Changed
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Author: Win Thin
Categories: Emerging Markets
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China regulators have taken over Anbang Insurance. Group for at least one year. RBI minutes from this month’s meeting were more hawkish than expected. The RBI is reportedly reviewing its process for allowing local companies to issue debt overseas. Effective June 1, IDR-denominated debt becomes eligible for the Barclays Global Aggregate Index.Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is coming under increasing pressure.
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Strange Economic Data
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Author: Pater Tenebrarum
Categories: Debt and the Fallacies of Paper Money
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Contrary to the situation in 2014-2015, economic indicators are currently far from signaling an imminent recession. We frequently discussed growing weakness in the manufacturing sector in 2015 (which is the largest sector of the economy in terms of gross output) – but even then, we always stressed that no clear recession signal was in sight yet. US gross output (GO) growth year-on-year, and industrial production (IP) – note that GO continues to be published with a lag of two quarters.
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