Tag Archive: newsletter

Léman Express to cut Geneva traffic jams

2019-12-17

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2019-12-17

Commuters got their first proper taste on Monday of what's been hailed as the largest cross-border regional rail network in Europe, the Léman Express.The network, which opened officially on Sunday, is the result of decades of planning and almost eight years of construction work. It offers a fast cross-city rail link from Geneva's central train station to Annemasse in France.

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If The Best Case For Consumer Christmas Is That It Started Off In The Wrong Month…

2019-12-17

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2019-12-17

US Retail Sales Stagnation, 1992-2012
Gone are the days when Black Friday dominated the retail calendar. While it used to be a somewhat fun way to kick off the holiday shopping season, it had morphed into something else entirely in later years. Scenes of angry shoppers smashing each other over the few big deals stores would truly offer, internet clips of crying children watching in horror as their parents transformed their local Walmart into Thunderdome.

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The “Trade Deal”: A Pathetic Parody, Credibility Squandered

2019-12-17

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2019-12-17

China Share of World Exports, 2000-2018
Anyone who thinks this bogus "deal" has resolved any of the issues or uncertainties deserves to be fired immediately. Here's a late-night TV parody of a trade deal: The agreement won't be signed by both parties, though each might sign their own version of it, and the terms of the deal will never ever be revealed to the public, which includes everyone doing any business in the nations doing the "deal."

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The US Economy Is Being Japanified — Thanks to the Fed

2019-12-17

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2019-12-17

Japan has not recovered fully from the lost decade of the 1990s. The Asian financial crisis was exacerbated by the dot-com crash and then a few years later the global economic collapse. Tokyo has tried everything to combat anemic growth and deflation, and resolve the zombification of the Japanese economy through an immense buildup of government debt and a dramatic loosening of monetary policy, including subzero interest rates.

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Gold Coins Worth Thousands Generously Donated To Salvation Army

2019-12-17

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2019-12-17

◆ Gold coins worth thousands generously gifted to the charity again this year ◆ It just means so much … because it means that they went out of their way to do something extra special…” ◆ Salvation Army gold donors keep giving gold coins including Gold Krugerrands anonymously every year◆ At least three gold coins worth some $4,500 have again been generously gifted to charity this year (that we know of)

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FX Daily, December 16: China Data Surprises to the Upside while Europe’s Manufacturing PMI Disappoints

2019-12-16

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2019-12-16

Overview: Despite better than expected Chinese data, and last week's investor-friendly developments, Asia Pacific equities were mixed. Australia led the advancing bourses with a 1.6% gain, its largest for the year despite the government revising down growth and wages. China, Taiwan, and Indian markets also moved higher.

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Novartis withdraws patent claim on leukaemia treatment

2019-12-16

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2019-12-16

Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis has backed down in a patent dispute over the leukaemia therapy Kymriah following opposition from NGOs. The Swiss NGO Public Eye is claiming victory in the European Patent Officeexternal link battle, but Novartis says the patent in question was only one of several it has in place on the (CAR)-T cell therapy treatment it had developed together with the University of Pennsylvania.

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FX Weekly Preview: Central Bank Meetings and Flash PMI Reports, but its Over except for the Shouting

2019-12-16

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2019-12-16

After last week's flurry of events, market activity is set to slow over the next three weeks. But what a flurry of events it was. A new NAFTA apparently has been agreed, and it is set to be approved by the US House of Representatives next week and the Senate early next year.  The US and China struck an agreement that will get rid of the immediate tariff threat and unwind half of the punitive tariffs in exchange for a commitment to buy twice the...

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EM Preview for the Week Ahead

2019-12-16

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2019-12-16

Risk assets such as EM got a big boost last week, as tail risks from a hard Brexit and the US-China trade war have clearly ebbed. Still, the initial lack of details on the Phase One deal as well as uncertainty regarding the next phases have left the markets a bit jittery and nervous. Hopefully, this week may bring some further clarity and the good news is that the December 15 tariffs have been canceled.

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A “Market” That Needs $1 Trillion in Panic-Money-Printing by the Fed to Stave Off Implosion Is Not a Market

2019-12-16

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2019-12-16

Assets: Other: Repurchase Agreements: Wednesday Level, 2005-2015
It was all fun and games enriching the super-wealthy but now the karmic cost of the Fed's manipulation and propaganda is about to come due. A "market" that needs $1 trillion in panic-money-printing by the Fed to stave off a karmic-overdue implosion is not a market: a legitimate market enables price discovery. What is price discovery?

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Embrace Unilateral Free Trade with the UK — Right Now

2019-12-16

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2019-12-16

Boris Johnson's Conservatives won an outright majority in yesterday's general election, pushing the Tories to an 80-strong Commons majority in what the Daily Mail called a "staggering election landslide." Given that the Conservatives employed an election slogan of "Get Brexit Done," it appears the election was largely a referendum on Brexit.

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Banana Republic Money Debasement In America

2019-12-16

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2019-12-16

Addicted to Spending. There are many falsehoods being perpetuated these days when it comes to money, financial markets, and the economy. But when you cut the chaff, three related facts remain: Uncle Sam needs your money. He needs a lot of your money. And he needs it bad!

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Nationalbank ist vom Nutzen der Negativzinsen überzeugt

2019-12-15

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2019-12-15

Die SNB hält am negativen Leitzins von −0,75% unverändert fest.Die Schweizerische Nationalbank (SNB) belässt den Leitzins und den Zins auf Sichtguthaben bei der SNB unverändert bei -0,75%, wie sie an ihrer geldpolitischen Lagebeurteilung am Donnerstag mitteilte. Sie ist weiterhin bereit, bei Bedarf am Devisenmarkt zu intervenieren und berücksichtigt dabei die gesamte Währungssituation.

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Digitales Zentralbankgeld bringt laut Bundesrat gegenwärtig keinen Zusatznutzen

2019-12-15

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2019-12-15

Der Bundesrat hat in einem am Freitag genehmigten Bericht Möglichkeiten, Chancen und Risiken eines Kryptofrankens oder e-Frankens analysieren lassen. Den Auftrag dazu hatte der Nationalrat mit der Überweisung eines Postulates von Cédric Wermuth (SP/AG) erteilt

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Swiss economy tipped to remain stagnant next year

2019-12-15

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2019-12-15

The Swiss economy is not expected to see any sustainable growth until 2021 at the earliest, according to government forecasters. The Swiss National Bank (SNB) agreed, keeping negative interest rates unchanged. A government expert group concluded that economic growth would rise only 0.9% this year, 1.7% in 2020 and 1.2% in 2021.

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The Most Important UK Election of the Century So Far

2019-12-15

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2019-12-15

There’s only one story in the UK this morning – it’s the day Britain goes to the polls. It’s no exaggeration to say that this election is probably the most important of the century so far. If the ruling Conservative party wins a clear majority, then some form of Brexit is almost certain to go ahead.

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Why the Courts Aren’t All They’re Supposed to Be

2019-12-15

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2019-12-15

In the United States, law courts routinely hand out court order mandating payments to victims. And then do little to enforce them. For example, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2015 only 43.5 percent of custodial parents received the full amount of court-ordered child support payments. 25.8 percent received partial payment while 30.7 percent — a figure which is trending higher — received no payments.

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Negativzinsen ab dem ersten Franken?

2019-12-14

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2019-12-14

Seit fünf Jahren bittet die Schweizerische Nationalbank (SNB) hiesige Banken zur Kasse. Diese bezahlen auf Giroeinlagen ab einer bestimmten Höhe einen Negativzins von 0.75 Prozent. Die Banken belasten diesen «Strafzins» vermehrt Kunden mit hohen Bargeldbeständen - meist erst ab mehreren hunderttausend Franken.

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Fritz Zurbrügg – «Wir machen nicht Geldpolitik für irgendwelche Sektoren»

2019-12-14

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2019-12-14

Im Dezember 2014 wurden sie von der Schweizerischen Nationalbank angekündigt, am 15. Januar 2015 dann überfallartig eingeführt: Die Negativzinsen von 0,75 Prozent. Damals ging man davon aus, dass die harte Massnahme der Schweizer Währungshüter zwei, maximal drei Jahre dauern würden.

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Swiss firms’ investments double abroad  

2019-12-14

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2019-12-14

Companies in Switzerland invested double the amount abroad in 2018 than the previous year, figures show. But foreign investors withdrew capital from Switzerland due to a US tax reform. In 2018, companies domiciled in Switzerland invested CHF 61 billion abroad ($62 billion) (compared to CHF30 billion in 2017). Around three-quarters of the direct investment were from firms in the services sector, the Swiss National Bank said on Friday.

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