Tag Archive: Featured

Dollar Plumbs New Depths With No Relief In Sight

2020-12-03

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2020-12-03

Stimulus talks continue but the goalposts have indeed been moved; the good news is that a package before year-end is looking more likely; optimism regarding stimulus continues to buoy US yields. ISM services PMI is expected at 55.8 vs. 56.6 in October; weekly jobless claims data will be reported; Fed Beige Book report was suitably downbeat.

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Tesla Isn’t A Car Company

2020-12-03

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2020-12-03

We have the luxury, the honor, of speaking to a lot of individual investors here at Alhambra. Whether they are clients or future clients (optimism is my default condition), the most common view of stocks is that they are overvalued and a fall – a large fall – is inevitable. And there is no stock that embodies that view more than Elon Musk’s Tesla Incorporated. It was once known as Tesla Motors but Musk changed the name in early 2017. There may...

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Double Your Gift Today!

2020-12-03

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2020-12-03

Dr. Gary Schlarbaum, one of our generous supporters, has again offered to match all donations received through December 7. That means your $10 donation becomes $20, your $25 donation becomes $50, and so on.

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FX Daily, December 2: Euro Rally Stalls while Brexit Concerns Trip Sterling

2020-12-02

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2020-12-02

The selling pressure that drove the dollar lower yesterday has abated, and the greenback is paring yesterday's loss, though the dollar-bloc currencies are showing some resilience. EC negotiator Barnier briefed ministers that the same three issues that have bedeviled the trade talks with the UK remain unresolved (fisheries, level playing field, and a conflict resolution mechanism).

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Issuance calendar for Confederation bonds and money market debt register claims in 2021

2020-12-02

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2020-12-02

The Swiss National Bank (SNB) and the Federal Finance Administration (FFA) advise as follows:

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Swiss Consumer Price Index in November 2020: -0.7 percent YoY, -0.2 percent MoM

2020-12-02

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2020-12-02

Switzerland Consumer Price Index (CPI) YoY, November 2020
02.12.2020 - The consumer price index (CPI) fell by 0.2% in November 2020 compared with the previous month, reaching 101.0 points (December 2015 = 100). Inflation was –0.7% compared with the same month of the previous year. These are the results of the Federal Statistical Office (FSO).

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When Governments Confiscate Wealth to Fund Government Programs

2020-12-02

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2020-12-02

The entrepreneurs try to undertake only such projects as appear to promise profits. This means that they endeavor to use the scarce means of production in such a way that the most urgent needs will be satisfied first, and that no part of capital and labor will be devoted to the satisfaction of less urgent needs as long as a more urgent need, for whose satisfaction they could be used, goes unsatisfied.

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In October, Money Supply Growth Remained Near All-Time Highs

2020-12-02

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2020-12-02

M2 and TMS/Rothbard-Salerno Measure, 1998-2019
In October, money supply growth fell slightly from September's all-time high, although growth still remains at levels that would have been considered outlandish just eight months ago. October's easing in money-supply growth comes after eight months of record-breaking growth in the US which came in the wake of unprecedented quantitative easing, central bank asset purchases, and various stimulus packages.

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FX Daily, December 1: No Follow-Through After Month-End Adjustments

2020-12-01

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2020-12-01

The near-record rallies seen in the major equity markets in November may have contributed to the month-end drama yesterday. There has been no follow-through activity. Stocks bounced back, and the US dollar is heavy, with few exceptions.

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Switzerland GDP Q3 2020: 7.2 percent QoQ, -1.6 percent YoY

2020-12-01

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2020-12-01

Switzerland Gross Domestic Product (GDP) QoQ, Q3 2020
Switzerland’s GDP grew by 7.2 % in the 3rd quarter of 2020,  after decreasing by a total of 8.6 % in the first half of the year. Domestic demand and parts of the service sector recovered significantly, while international developments had an adverse impact on exports. Download press release Gross domestic product in the 3rd quarter of 2012 - Still 2 % below pre-crisis level(PDF, 4 pages, 319 kB)...

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That Precious Metals Rumor Mill, 30 November

2020-12-01

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2020-12-01

Gold Basis and Co-basis and the Dollar Price
We are hearing rumors this week of a shortage of the big silver bars, the thousand-ouncers. No, we don’t refer to bullion banks saying this. Nor big dealers, who are happy to sell us as many of these as we can buy. Nor our peeps in high places (we don’t claim to have any such peeps).

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Five lessons from the Swiss ‘responsible business’ vote

2020-12-01

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2020-12-01

The battle over the responsible business initiative is now over. The way the campaign was managed and how the issue was eventually decided says a lot about Switzerland.

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Switzerland and the pandemic: does the economy matter more?

2020-12-01

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2020-12-01

For a nation that prides itself on being on the global forefront of new technologies and science, particularly health care, Switzerland has an astoundingly poor record for dealing with Covid-19. The Lake Geneva region, which borders locked-down France, ranks as one of the worst coronavirus hotspots in Europe.

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2021 is Already Optimized for Failure

2020-12-01

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2020-12-01

One sure way to identify a system "optimized for failure" is if all the insiders are absolutely confident the system is "optimized for my success". I often discuss optimization here because it offers an insightful window into how systems become fragile and break down.

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FX Daily, November 30: Equities are Heavy and the Dollar Softer to Start New Week

2020-11-30

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2020-11-30

Overview: Month-end profit-taking saw Asia Pacific shares tumble earlier today.  Most markets are off 1-2.5% today after the MSCI Asia Pacific Index rose 2.25% last week.  European shares are mixed, but little changed.  US shares are also trading lower. 

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Swiss Retail Sales, October 2020: 2.6 percent Nominal and 3.1 percent Real

2020-11-30

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2020-11-30

Switzerland Retail Sales YoY, October 2020
30.11.2020 - Turnover adjusted for sales days and holidays rose in the retail sector by 2.6% in nominal terms in October 2020 compared with the previous year. Seasonally adjusted, nominal turnover rose by 3.3% compared with the previous month.

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Covid Is Just the Latest Excuse for Canada’s Politicians to Violate the Constitution

2020-11-30

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2020-11-30

In terms of their widespread application and rapid implementation, covid-19 policies have been the most egregious violations of Canada’s constitution, ever. But my opinion doesn’t matter, because judges are the only people allowed to interpret the constitution—a convenient arrangement for the government.

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Drivers for the Week Ahead

2020-11-30

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2020-11-30

Dollar weakness has resumed. This will be a very important data week for the US and the highlight will be November jobs data Friday; we will also get some important manufacturing readings for November; the Fed releases its Beige Book report for the December FOMC meeting Wednesday; Canada also has a busy week.

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Swiss home prices rose over the third quarter of 2020

2020-11-30

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2020-11-30

Over the third quarter of 2020, home prices in Switzerland rose by an average of 0.2%. However, the prices of some homes rose while others fell.

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Bill Browder threatens legal action over Swiss bank accounts linked to Magnitsky scandal

2020-11-29

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2020-11-29

High-profile Kremlin critic and investor Bill Browder has threatened Credit Suisse and UBS with legal action for breaching US sanctions if they unfreeze accounts belonging to three Russian clients accused of a huge tax fraud against his investment company.

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