Tag Archive: newsletter

Swiss government approves post-Brexit deal on treatment of UK and Swiss nationals

2018-12-23

by

2018-12-23

Today, The Federal Council, Switzerland’s executive, announced it has approved a deal safeguarding the rights of Swiss and UK citizens after Brexit. The agreement is part of a package of deals being worked out as part of a plan dubbed “Mind the Gap”. Under the agreement, any UK citizen residing in Switzerland before Brexit will retain all of their existing rights for life.

Read More »

Construction prices rose by 0.3 percent in October 2018

2018-12-22

by

2018-12-22

Development of the construction price index in Switzerland
The construction price index recorded a rise of 0.3% between April and October 2018, reaching 99.3 points (October 2015 = 100). This result reflects a greater increase in civil engineering prices than in building prices. Year on year, construction prices increased by 0.6%.

Read More »

Switzerland could see vote on laws banning age discrimination

2018-12-22

by

2018-12-22

Heidi Joos, the managing director of the organisation Avenir 50 plus, and others, plan to launch a referendum aimed at introducing laws against age discrimination in Switzerland. Age discrimination in recruitment is common in Switzerland. Some job search websites allow filtering by age, and job adverts sometimes specify applicants be below a particular age.

Read More »

Forex Forensics: The Case of the Yen

2018-12-22

by

2018-12-22

Over the past five sessions, the yen is the strongest of the major currencies, appreciating about 1.7% against the US dollar, eclipsing the Swedish krona, which rallied strongly today after the Riksbank's surprise rate hike.  Given the sell-off in equities and the decline in markets, the yen's strength is not surprising. 

Read More »

FX Daily, December 21: Markets Stumble into the Weekend

2018-12-21

by

2018-12-21

Overview: There is little reprieve from the equity meltdown ahead of the weekend. Major markets in the Asia-Pacific region, including Japan, China, India, and Australia pushed lower. The MSCI index of the region is near 15-month lows. The Dow Jones Stoxx 600 is off about 0.6% near midday in London to make new two-year lows. US shares are also trading lower in Europe.

Read More »

Smartphones change Swiss shopping habits

2018-12-21

by

2018-12-21

More and more people in Switzerland are relying on their smartphone to shop, pay and transfer money, although, compared internationally, the Swiss are still cautious. The Global Mobile Consumer Survey 2018, published on Wednesday by consultants Deloitte, found that 92% of all adults in Switzerland own at least one smartphone, 5% own only a mobile phone and 3% own neither. Similar trends are seen globally.

Read More »

Powell: Still Strong; Markets: AYFKM

2018-12-21

by

2018-12-21

Global Systematically Important Banks 2017-2018
The official statement that accompanies each every FOMC policy action is by nature bland and sterile. Still, despite the sparseness of printed words those that are included can say a lot. Here’s its essence for what just wrapped up in December 2018: The Committee judges that some further gradual increases in the target range for the federal funds rate will be consistent with sustained expansion of economic activity, strong labor market conditions,...

Read More »

Gold Prices Likely To Go Higher In 2019 After 4 percent Gain So Far In Q4

2018-12-21

by

2018-12-21

Traders Make First Bullish Bet on Gold Since July as Stocks Tumble
Gold traders appear excited about gold again as stocks are on pace for their worst year since 2008, and their worst December since 1931. Bullish bets on the yellow metal outnumbered bearish ones for the week ended December 11, resulting in the first instance of net positive contracts since July, according to Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) data.

Read More »

FX Daily, December 20: Stocks Slump and the Dollar Slides as Market Concludes Fed is Mistaken

2018-12-20

by

2018-12-20

Overview:  Once again the US equity market failed to hold on to even minimal upticks.  The sharply lower close spurred follow-through selling in global equities.  Few have been spared the wrath of investors who apparently were disappointed with the Fed and its reluctance to consider stopping the balance sheet unwind. 

Read More »

Swiss Trade Balance November 2018: Exports pass for the first time the bar of 19 billion francs

2018-12-20

by

2018-12-20

In November 2018, exports confirmed their growth the previous month with a 1.8% increase, posting a new monthly peak. Imports, on the other hand, weakened by 1.2% and remain in a negative spiral. The trade balance closed with a surplus of 3.1 billion francs.

Read More »

Apple will fix tech-glitch to benefit TWINT

2018-12-20

by

2018-12-20

Switzerland’s Competition Commission announced on Tuesday that Apple has agreed to come up with a more competitive technical solution to the benefit of Swiss payment method TWINT. The automatic activation of Apple Pay at payment terminals can interrupt payments made by the TWINT application, noted the commission.

Read More »

Why Everything That Needs to Be Fixed Remains Permanently Broken

2018-12-20

by

2018-12-20

Just in case you missed what's going on in France: the status quo in Europe is doomed. The status quo has a simple fix for every crisis and systemic problem: 1. create currency out of thin air. 2. give it to super-wealthy banks, financiers and corporations to boost their wealth and income.

Read More »

FX Daily, December 19: The Fed’s Paws may Still Unsettle Investors

2018-12-19

by

2018-12-19

Overview:  The failure of the S&P 500 to sustain even modest upside momentum yesterday is keeping traders on edge today, though another attempt on the upside is likely.  Asian equities were mixed, with Chinese and Japanese shares lower.  The Nikkei closed below the 21000 support level. 

Read More »

Majority of Swiss company CEOs are foreign

2018-12-19

by

2018-12-19

A total of 52% of CEOs from the 50 firms on the SMI Expandedexternal link stock exchange are from abroad, according to a study published on Monday by the recruitment consultancy Heidrick & Strugglesexternal link. A year ago, when the profiles of Swiss executives were evaluated for the first time, the figure was 49%.

Read More »

Industrial Fading

2018-12-19

by

2018-12-19

Federal Reserve Empire State Manu. Index 2001-2018
It is time to start paying attention to PMI’s again, some of them. There are those like the ISM’s Manufacturing Index which remains off in a world of its own. The version of the goods economy suggested by this one index is very different than almost every other. It skyrocketed in late summer last year way out of line (highest in more than a decade) with any other economic account.

Read More »

Why Do Investors Tolerate It, Report 17 Dec 2018

2018-12-18

by

2018-12-18

Gold and Silver Prices
For the first time since we began publishing this Report, it is a day late. We apologize. Keith has just returned Saturday from two months on the road. Unlike the rest of the world, we define inflation as monetary counterfeiting. We do not put the emphasis on quantity (and the dollar is not money, it’s a currency). We focus on the quality. An awful lot of our monetary counterfeiting occurs to fuel consumption spending.

Read More »

FX Daily, December 18: Stock Rout Deepens, Casts Shadow over Holiday Spirit

2018-12-18

by

2018-12-18

Overview: The 2% slide in the S&P 500 to new lows for the year yesterday hit Asian and European equities today. Bond yields are lower, and the dollar is softer against most major currencies. The dramatic equity losses and some disappointing data sparked doubts about the ability of the Fed to raise rates tomorrow at the conclusion of its last meeting of the year.

Read More »

Pension fund statistics 2017: definitive results

2018-12-18

by

2018-12-18

The pension funds can look back on a positive year of investment: net income from investments doubled in 2017, strengthening the reserves and reducing any underfunding. These are some of the final results from the Federal Statistical Office’s 2017 pension fund statistics. You will find further information such as tables and graphs in the PDF below.

Read More »

UK signs air service deal with Switzerland for post-Brexit flights

2018-12-18

by

2018-12-18

British Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling is set to sign an agreement with Switzerland on Monday to ensure air services continue to operate between the two countries after Brexit. Britain is due to leave the European Union on March 29, but uncertainty over how, or even if, Brexit will happen has increased the possibility of the country exiting without a deal on departure terms, a scenario that some companies said would usher in chaos.

Read More »