Category Archive: 3) Swiss Markets and News

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Chris Iggo, Anlagechef Festverzinsliche, AXA Investment Managers

Wegen der unsicheren Märkte wird die Fed ihre geplanten Zinserhöhungen nicht umsetzen – zumindest vorläufig. Das sagt der Investmentchef für festverzinsliche Anlagen bei Axa Investment Managers im cash-Video-Interview.

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SIHH watch fair opens in Geneva

The Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) has opened in Geneva with 35 watch brands showing off their wares. SIHHexternal link will run until Thursday, when it is open to the public, who must register and pay CHF70 ($71.20) in advance. It is the first watch fair of the year and important in terms of setting trends, particularly in the luxury segment.

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Former US interior secretary lands first job since stepping down

Former United States interior secretary Ryan Zinke has landed his first job since leaving the Trump administration two weeks ago. Zinke has joined investment company Artillery One as managing director, swissinfo.ch has learned.

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Lenders pay to lend money to Switzerland

On 28 December 2018, Italy issued government bonds maturing in 2028 at an effective interest rate of 2.7%1. Interest rates like this combined with the scale of Italian public debt (157% of GDP) mean Italian taxpayers spend more on public debt interest than they do on education. In 2015, Italy spent 4.1% of GDP on public debt interest and only 2.8% of GDP on education.

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Nestlé now Europe’s most valuable company

Volatile markets have been reshuffling the ranking of the world’s most valuable companies. Over the course of the last six months, Nestlé overtook Royal Dutch Shell to become Europe’s most valuable company. At the end of June 2018, Royal Dutch Shell had Europe’s highest market capitalisation (US$ 293 billion), making it the world’s 13th most valuable company, while Nestlé ranked 21st globally, with a market capitalisation of US$ 233 billion.

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Swiss government ups probe into Pilatus-Saudi deal

A Swiss aircraft manufacturer may have broken the law through part of a contract signed with Saudi Arabia. The foreign affairs ministry has begun a deeper investigation. Tasked with helping to maintain military training aircraft, 12 Pilatus employees are working in the Saudi capital, Riyadh. Swiss companies are legally obliged to report any activity with foreign armies.

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Börsen-Talk vom 11. Januar 2019

Der Konjunkturabschwung wird sich durch Gewinnwarnungen von Firmen an den Börsen weiter bemerkbar machen, sagt Raiffeisen-Anlagechef Matthias Geissbühler im cash-Börsen-Talk. Er sieht aber noch Wege, wie man investiert.

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Samih Sawiris, VR-Präsident Orascom

Orascom will von VR-Präsident Samih Sawiris wieder die Mehrheit am Projekt in Andermatt übernehmen. Im cash-Interview erklärt Sawiris die Hintergründe dieses Deals und äussert sich zum Aktienkurs von Orascom.

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Question of the week: do we still need a standard retirement age?

Reaching the official retirement age1 is an important milestone for many people. Some look forward to it while others dread it. Some dreading it would prefer to continue working either because they enjoy their work or would like the extra income. Some feel they are being systematically and unfairly labelled too old to work.

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The Art of Hanging Art with Ruarc Peffers

Senior Art Specialist and Aspire Art Director Ruarc Peffers talks to Investec Private Banking about the best way to hang art in your home or office in a step-by-step video guide. Follow AspireArt @AspireArtSA, Investec Cape Town Art Fair @ICTArtFair, and @investec on Twitter and Instagram.

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Central bank faces loss of CHF15 billion

The Swiss National Bank (SNB) says it expects to report a loss of about CHF15 billion ($15.3 billion) for 2018, mainly because of a weak performance of foreign currency positions. In a report on provisional annual calculations, the SNB said on Wednesday that the federal and cantonal authorities would nonetheless still benefit a CHF2 billion payment – two-thirds of which will go to the 26 cantons.

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Mars products boycotted by Swiss supermarket chain

Swiss supermarket chain Coop is refusing to stock products from food producing giant Mars in a dispute over prices. The retailer is part of a European buying consortium whose other members will also boycott Mars, Twix and Bounty confectioneries. The dispute is over how much retailers must pay for the good they stock on their shelves.

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Swiss unemployment hit ten-year low in 2018

The unemployment rate in Switzerland averaged 2.6% in 2018, a ten-year low, after strong economic growth in the first six months of the year, according to the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). The department said just over 118,000 people were registered with regional job centres during 2018 - 17.5% fewer than the previous year.

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What does perfect bread taste like?

What goes into a really good loaf of bread? A researcher is investigating the secret of bread’s taste and explains what bakers can still improve on. What goes into a really good loaf of bread? A researcher is investigating the secret of bread’s taste and explains what bakers can still improve on. (SRF/swissinfo.ch) — swissinfo.ch …

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VAT now applied to most foreign online shopping from 1 January 2019

In 2016, Switzerland’s government decided to tighten the VAT exemption on imported purchases, a move that affects most online orders from foreign retailers. The new rules took effect on 1 January 2019 – they were originally planned for 1 January 2018 but systems and processes were not ready.

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EU needs more flexible negotiation tactics: UBS chairman

The European Union should stop dictating terms to Switzerland and start negotiating an acceptable compromise if it wants to find agreement on future ties, says UBS chairman Axel Weber. In an interview with the Tages-Anzeiger newspaper, Weber said the current EU demands are unlikely to be approved by the Swiss people should they be put to a referendum.

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One in two Swiss is happy with personal finances

One Swiss in two is satisfied with the state of their financial situation, according to a study. Just under a third (28%) expect their finances to improve in 2019. The French-speaking population is feeling much more positive than last year.

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Visitors flock to Swiss ski resorts over Christmas and New Year

Ski resorts have reported a busy period over Christmas and the New Year with numerous visitors enjoying the sunny weather and good snow conditions. The chic resort of Verbier in canton Valais registered over 20,000 skiers a day over the Christmas period, Laurent Vaucher, director of the Téléverbier lift company, told Keystone SDA on Wednesday.

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Calls for CO2 regulations for trucks too

The trucks emit almost the same amount of CO2 as they did 25 years ago. The Alpine Initiative is therefore calling for tighter CO2 legislation. According to government figures, today’s heavy goods vehicles (HGV) – the trucks used for the transportation of goods – emit almost the same amount of CO2 as they did 25 …

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European Perch Crowned Fish of the Year

The European perch, or Perca fluviatilis, has been named the Fish of the Year for 2019. The Swiss Fishing Association said on Wednesday external linkthat it had chosen the perch to remind the public of its popularity, particularly as a culinary delicacy in Switzerland.

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