Tag Archive: Greece

Brexit: Switzerland Prospers outside the EU, why Can’t the UK?

As the June 23rd BREXIT (the UK-wide referendum to leave the EU) vote draws near, the polls indicate a close result. Those urging a vote for the UK to remain inside the EU are suggesting increasingly...

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What the Greek Deal Does and Does Not Do

For investors, the most important thing about the successful review of Greece’s implementation of last year’s agreement is that it effectively removes it from the list of potential disruptive factors in the coming quarters.   There will be no repeat of last year’s drama. Assuming Greece resolves a few outstanding issues in the next few days, …

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FX Daily, May 25: Dollar Marks time

  The US dollar is little changed against the major currencies as yesterday’s moves are consolidated and traders wait for fresh developments.  Global equities were higher after Wall Street’s advance yesterday.  Asia-Pacific bond yields were firm, following the US lead, but European 10-year benchmark yields are lower, led by the continued rally in Greek bonds …

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EU Plans $290K Per Person Fine For Countries Refusing “Fair Share” Of Refugees; Angry Response Ensues

As Norway offers cash for refugees to leave, announcing that they won't be accepting any more refugees from the EU, and Switzerland prepares its military to close down borders, the EU has seemingly had enough of every country acting as if it has any ...

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Here Comes The Turkish Flood: EU Commission Backs Visa-Free Travel For 80 Million Turks

Earlier this week we observed that in what may be Europe's latest mistake, the European Union is about to grant visa-gree travel to 80 million Turks: a key concession that Erdogan obtained as a result of the ongoing negotiations over Europe's refugee...

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Negative Rates: Jim Bianco Warns “The Risk Of An ‘Accident’ Is Very High”

In an interesting interview with Finanz und Wirtschaft, Bianco Research president Jim Bianco discusses a variety of topics such as negative interest rates turning the entire credit process upside down, bank balance sheets being even more complex and ...

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Switzerland Readies Military In Preparation For A New Wave Of Migrants

According to The BBC, the most asylum claims in 2015 occurred in Germany, which saw >500,000...   With the main route (reportedly shut down) being from Turkey to Greece, and up through the Balkans... With Syrians making up the bulk of migrants tryi...

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FINMA Fines UBS, All Markets are Manipulated?

Gold and Silver Are Manipulated Deutsche Bank admitted today that it participated with other big banks in manipulating gold and silver prices. In 2014, Switzerland’s financial regulator (FINMA) found “serious misconduct” and a “...

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Futures Jump On Chinese Trade Data; Oil Declines; Global Stocks Turn Green For 2016

With oil losing some of its euphoric oomph overnight, following the API report of a surge in US oil inventories, and a subsequent report that Iran's oil minister would skip the Doha OPEC meeting altogether, the global stock rally needed another catal...

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Global Stocks Soar On Stimulus Hopes After Miserable Chinese, Japanese Data; Short Squeeze

Bad news is once again good news... for stocks that is.  After a month and a half of markets unable to decide if they should buy or sell on ugly data, over the weekend, People’s Bank of China Governor Zhou Xiaochuan expressed faith in the economy, ...

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Keith Weiner: Inflation Caused the Greek Tragedy

By inflation, I don’t refer to rising consumer prices in Athens. My Greek friends tell me that prices have been steady there in recent years. The focus on prices is the greatest sleight of hand ever perpetrated. It diverts your attention away from the real action. Inflation is the counterfeiting of credit. It is borrowing, when you can’t pay and you know it. Inflation is taking money under false pretenses, and issuing fraudulent bonds. This...

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Government and Public-Sector Employment

Government and Public-Sector Employment

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Emerging Markets and Global Oil Demand



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European Industrial Production Still Contracting, Switzerland Expanding Again

Swiss industrial production is rather insensitive to price changes and to the recent slowing of global demand thanks to the concentration on pharmaceuticals and luxury products.   Based on Eurostat’s industrial production for July and August , we compared the values from 2010 to 2013 for these two summer months. This aggregated two-months comparison is …

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Global Purchasing Manager Indices

Manufacturing Purchasing Manager Indices (PMIs) are considered to be the leading and most important economic indicators.   August 2013 Update Emerging markets: Years of strong increases in wages combined with tapering fears have taken its toll: Higher costs and lower investment capital available. EM Companies have issues in coping with developed economies. Some of them …

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Global Purchasing Manager Indices, Update January 25

Manufacturing PMIs are considered to be the leading and most important economic indicators.  After a strong slowing in summer 2012 and the Fed’s QE3, this is the fourth month of improvements in global PMIs   January 25th Expansion-contraction ratio: There are 15 countries that show values above 50 and 14 with values under 50. Positive-negative-change ratio: …

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Who Says No to Austerity and Global Imbalances, Must Say Yes to the Northern Euro

Eventually the euro will be abolished, a Northern Euro introduced: politicians and their economic advisors might just be waiting for a calm moment, especially with upcoming German inflation.

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Global Purchasing Manager Indices, Update December 17

Manufacturing PMIs are considered to be the leading and most important economic indicators.  Since the Fed’s QE3, this is the third month of improvements in global PMIs after a strong slowing in summer 2012.   January 25th Expansion-contraction ratio: There are as many countries that show values above 50 as under 50. Positive-negative-change ratio: 18 countries …

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About the Impossibilities of the Common-Currency-Recession-Austerity Cycle

Charles Wyplosz, Professor of International Economics, Graduate Institute, Geneva repeats our arguments in "Who says No to Austerity, Says Yes to the Northern Euro" about the impossibility of getting out of the common currency - recession - austerity - cycle.  Similar as we do, he proposes a public...

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The Fairy Tale of Rising Competitiveness in the European Periphery

In our post we look on two questions concerning competitiveness for the European periphery: When will local production be cheaper than imported products? Do people have the money to buy these local products? It does not help reducing labor costs if local production costs still more than imported products. The second aspect is: even if …

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