Tag Archive: Swiss National Bank

The 2015 Update: Risks on the Rising SNB Money Supply

We explain the risks on the rising money supply in Switzerland. We distinguish between broad money supply (M1-M3) and narrow money supply (M0). Both are rising quickly.

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The Swiss National Bank: Switzerland’s central bank makes a massive loss

2015-08-01

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2015-08-01

Swiss National Bank net income, Swiss Francs
ON FRIDAY, the Swiss National Bank (SNB), Switzerland’s central bank, reported second quarter losses of SFr20 billion ($20 billion). Following an equally bad first three months of the year, the SNB’s losses so far for 2015 now amount to a whopping SFr50.1 billion, equivalent to 7.5% of Switzerland's GDP.

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1) SNB

SNBCHF.com most important posts about the Swiss National Bank

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The two phases of CHF appreciation… and what is in between

We show the two phases or "two innings" of Swiss franc appreciation: The risk aversion phase and the high inflation phase. With the weakening of emerging markets and the strengthening of the United States in 2013/2014, the Swiss National Bank (SNB) had won the first battle in the war against financial market, the "risk aversion game", the first inning in two-part match. Risk aversion is lower because the United States recovered with weaker oil...

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SNB’s IMF data

This IMF data on the SNB website shows SNB Forex and gold reserves in the last month. It is so-called "IMF Special Data Dissemination Standard (SNB Data)"

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Das Gold-Gschichtli der SNB

2015-03-31

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2015-03-31

Dem Jahresbericht 2014 der SNB entnehmen wir ab Seite 63: Lagerung der Goldreserven Gemäss Art. 99 Abs. 3 der Bundesverfassung hält die Nationalbank einen Teil ihrer Währungsreserven in Gold. Die Nationalbank gab im Frühling 2013 bekannt, dass sie 30...

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(3) Inflation, Central Banks and Interest Rates

PoBC RBA Fed BoE
In this chapter we connect three related concepts: inflation, central banks and interest rates.

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(8) Currency Wars: How to Push and Talk Down Your Currency?

Currency wars
Direct or indirect intervention is credible only in countries where domestic asset prices are undervalued and CPI/asset price inflation are no issues. Otherwise they create medium-term risks.

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Why did the Swiss franc spike? Lack of Capital Outflows

There is a straightforward answer to the question in the headline: more money has been trying to get into Switzerland than get out, which didn’t affect the exchange rate as long as the Swiss National Bank bought foreign currency. As soon as they stop...

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End of Peg Buiter Critique

2015-01-25

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2015-01-25

In a Citi research note, Willem Buiter discusses the SNB’s decision to discontinue the exchange rate floor of the Swiss Franc vis-a-vis the Euro. His main points are: Buiter refers to his earlier work on removing the lower bound on nominal interest r...

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Free exchange: Broke but never bust

2015-01-22

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2015-01-22

Throwing caution to the wind
CONTEMPORARY central banking is a strongbox of oddities. Deposits, which normally pay interest, can now incur a charge. Investments in government debt, which normally offer a return, give a negative yield. Faced with this weirdness central banks are trying to respect some cardinal rules of finance, with the Swiss National Bank (SNB) and the European Central Bank (ECB) taking steps to protect themselves from losses and ensure that their...

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Switzerland’s currency: Shaken, not stirred

2015-01-22

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2015-01-22

Switzerland currency
SWISS voters used to hold their central bank in high esteem: one survey in 2013 found the Swiss National Bank (SNB) to be their most respected national institution. That may change after its shock decision on January 15th to abandon the Swiss franc’s cap against the euro. The franc instantly shot up by 30%, provoking howls of anguish from Swiss firms.

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Foreign exchange: Swiss miss

2015-01-21

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2015-01-21

WHEN the Swiss National Bank (SNB) intervened to weaken its currency in 2011, analysts called the subsequent abrupt drop in the franc’s value a “20-standard-deviation move”. Assuming the franc’s ups and downs follow a normal distribution, such a big shift should not have occurred again for many squillions of years.

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Switzerland’s monetary policy: The three big misconceptions about the Swiss franc

2015-01-21

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2015-01-21

Swiss Franc coin
ON THURSDAY January 15th Switzerland’s central bank, the Swiss National Bank (SNB), removed the cap on its currency, which it had imposed over three years ago and reaffirmed only three days before its repeal. The doffing of the cap surprised and upset the foreign-exchange markets, hobbling several currency brokers, including Alpari (which happens to sponsor the London football team I support).

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The Economist explains: Why the Swiss unpegged the franc

2015-01-19

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2015-01-19

IN THE world of central banking, slow and predictable decisions are the aim. So on January 15th, when the Swiss National Bank (SNB) suddenly announced that it would no longer hold the Swiss franc at a fixed exchange rate with the euro, there was panic. The franc soared. On Wednesday one euro was worth 1.2 Swiss francs; at one point on Thursday its value had fallen to just 0.85 francs.

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The liquidity monster and FXCM

2015-01-16

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2015-01-16

As we have already pointed out about Thursday’s unprecedented Swiss franc move following the SNB’s announcement about removing its 1.20 euro level floor and introducing a -0.75 per cent interest rate regime, the real story to pay attention to is what...

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What did the SNB do to EURCHF options markets?

2015-01-15

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2015-01-15

The Swiss National Bank made G10 FX a lot more fun to watch today. One interesting thing is how the options markets responded. Via Jared Woodard of BGC, here’s a chart comparing the move in one-week implied volatility in the exchange rate between the...

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Central Europe and the Swiss franc: Currency risk

2015-01-15

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2015-01-15

ANXIETY at the Swiss National Bank’s surprise decision today to drop its peg against the euro was nowhere more evident than in central Europe. The Swiss franc soared against all the region's currencies, including the euro, the Hungarian forint and especially the Polish zloty, and stock exchanges in Poland (pictured) and Hungary dropped sharply.

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The SNB and the Russia/oil connection

2015-01-15

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2015-01-15

A quick post to collate a few side theories on the reasons, justifications and consequences of the SNB move. Simon Derrick at BNY Mellon is first to point out that the euro floor/chf celing was leaving an open door to safe haven flows from Russia by ...

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