No stock market equivalence, no problem
Swiss equities rallied today even as Switzerland barred EU traders from directly buying and selling its stocks. Nicolas Bürki, analyst and portfolio manager at Mirabaud Asset Management, says it remains to be seen whether the Swiss-EU dispute will have any real consequences moving forward.
G-20 postmortem: Why markets jumped after temporary agreement
Markets jumped after the United States and China reached a temporary trade truce this weekend at the G-20 in Japan. Luc D’hooge, head of emerging markets bonds at Vontobel Asset Management, sees positive signals for emerging markets in general as they are relying on strong global trade.
Clock ticking for Trump to strike deal with China
With just 15 months left until the end of his term and his reelection campaign already underway, U.S. President Donald Trump is under pressure to come to a trade agreement with China that he can present as one of his achievements, argues Marcel Zutter, co-founder and chairman of Parsumo Capital. This pressure makes his situation different to that of his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jingping, he adds.
Aluflexpack: the latest IPO in Switzerland
Packaging manufacturer Aluflexpack is the latest company to go public in Switzerland. CFO Johannes Steurer says that following its debut on the Swiss stock exchange, Aluflexpack plans to expand in high-growth niches including coffee capsules and stand-up pouches.
BlackRock: This is what we expect from the G-20 summit
Leaders from the G-20 are set to meet in Osaka, with all eyes on Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump and whether they can reach a trade agreement. “The best we can hope for is getting nearer an agreement where tariffs would be abolished again,” says Martin Lück, regional chief investment strategist at BlackRock. But this, he says, would only scratch the surface of the larger issues between the two countries.
The main reasons why people complain about Swiss banks
These are troubling times for bank customers with zero interest rates the new norm. And now the Swiss Banking Ombudsman resolved 1,926 disputes between customers and their banks in 2018, 15 percent of them regarding fees. But according to Marco Franchetti, some of the complaints were just plain “strange.”
Lucatelli: “A Swiss digital currency could be an export success”
The Swiss stock exchange wants the Swiss National Bank to issue a digital coin. For Adriano Lucatelli, co-founder and CEO of Descartes Finance, this would be a good move for Switzerland. In his view, a “digital Swissie” could be a successful export product like “chocolate and cheese.”
SGKB sees franc hitting parity with euro in 5-10 years
The Swiss franc could hit parity with the euro within 5 to 10 years if it continues to appreciate by around 2 percent a year, says Thomas Stucki, CIO of St. Galler Kantonalbank. He adds that the speed at which the franc appreciates, rather than the level, will be the bigger deciding factor for the Swiss National Bank on when to intervene. But, he says, if it sinks below 1.07 then it can pose a challenge to the economy.
Switzerland and EU at a stand-off
Even though Dan Scott, deputy chief investment officer at Vontobel Wealth Management, expects Swiss stocks to lose access to EU markets, he’s not losing any sleep over the “non-event.”
Lombard Odier: A cautious outlook for Swiss investors
Amid various trade disputes, Johan Utterman, head of Swiss equities at Lombard Odier Asset Management, sees some Swiss large and medium caps well-positioned in case of an economic downturn, especially companies in the tech sector.
Aviva Investors: positive outlook for emerging markets
Despite the uncertainties regarding global growth and the weakening of the U.S dollar, Liam Spillane, head of emerging markets debt at Aviva Investors, sees a positive outlook for fixed income in emerging markets.
As U.S.-Iran tensions rise, what’s at stake for oil?
U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday to impose further sanctions on Iran. Carsten Menke, commodities expert and head of next generation research at Julius Baer, gives his insight on recent gains in oil prices, arguing that the news of recent weeks hasn’t changed the outlook for the oil market output.
Facebook faces privacy pushback over digital currency
Facebook will have a hard time building trust in its digital currency because of its poor record on privacy, says billionaire investor Ken Fisher.
Don’t forget women refugees, says Plan International
Refugees can be valuable contributors to the economy but need the opportunity to thrive, says Suba Umathevan, CEO of Plan International Switzerland. She also sees the need to focus on female refugees.
