Smart Valor CEO Olga Feldmeier welcomes the new guidelines issued by the FINMA on initial coin offerings. She feels the Swiss financial regulator follows a balanced approach, which will promote the development of the blockchain industry in Switzerland. The country has the potential to become one of the major hubs in the world along with London and Singapore.
Could the tech stock bounce spur new confidence in the economy?
Given strong results from some tech stocks, confidence in the economy could return, says Mozamil Afzal, global CIO at EFG Asset Management.
Did the Fed really change its strategy?
Felix Brill, Chief Investment Officer at VP Bank, gives his view on The Federal Reserve’s latest decision on interest rates.
January 31 Markets Summary: Roche and Swatch in focus
Roche says it expects sales and earnings to rise in 2019, and the stock price gained more than 2.5 percent on the news. Swatch, meanwhile, missed on expectations. The SMI gained 0.04 percent and finished at 8’969.27.
Confidence in the job market remains “enormous,” says KOF director
The Swiss economy may be slowing down, as the new KOF barometer shows, but not all indicators are in the red, according to Jan-Egbert Sturm, director of the KOF Swiss Economic Institute.
January 30 Markets Summary: Lonza, hedge funds in focus
Lonza shareholders were taken by surprise as the CEO, who drove growth in the last years, announced he is stepping down. As a result, the stock price lost more than 7 percent. We also look at the diminishing returns of hedge funds. Finally, the SMI gained 0.28 percent and finished at 8,965.71.
For hedge funds, the house is on fire. But CAIA says it’s fine
In 2018, most hedge funds lost money and some big names even went out of business. The good old days of the 1990s with strong returns are gone, data shows. But Keith Black of the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst Association argues that hedge funds still make sense for investors.
How long will the gold rebound last?
Gold is up 11 percent since August and could go higher. Costa Vayenas, senior investment consultant at Wellershoff & Partners, explains why he sees more upward potential for the commodity.
Apple could be the next casualty in the Huawei case, warns Dan Scott
As U.S. pressure escalates on Chinese tech group Huawei, Beijing will most likely retaliate, warns Dan Scott, deputy CIO at Vontobel. And Apple is the ideal target, he says. Other tech stocks, including Logitech, could suffer, too.
January 29 Markets Summary: SMI back up again
Huawei was the story of the day and not surprisingly its stock price took a hit. We also look at gold, which is at its highest price since June. Back home, the focus was on Landis + Gyr, who announced a share buyback program. The SMI ended the day up 0.93 percent to 8,940.52.
Fiscal policy can do more in Europe, argues EFG chief economist
If the euro area goes through a sharp downturn, the European Central Bank won’t be able to do much since it’s running out of options, says Stefan Gerlach, chief economist at EFG. But he does expect governments to step in and boost growth by increasing their spending.
January 28 Markets Summary: Stocks slide, oil stable
Stock markets started the week down and the SMI was no exception, losing 0.72 percent and finishing at 8,857.85. We also explain why the oil price remains stable despite the crisis in Venezuela and look ahead to the Fed’s meeting.
Fern Wealth says it was a “clearer WEF this year”
Alastair McCaig, director of investment management at Fern Wealth, felt that the absence of U.S. President Donald Trump gave clarity to the discussions at the World Economic Forum and noted an underlying trend of positivity at the meeting. He also commented on the pound and the impact of the U.S. government shutdown.
January 25 Markets Summary: British pound bounces back
Will Britain get extra time to negotiate Brexit? As the pound continued its two-month rally, many European officials gathering in Davos this week pushed for an extension. Meanwhile, Swiss companies continue to report their 2018 earnings. The SMI ended the day down 0.17 percent at 8922.49.
What the ECB meeting means for Swiss pension funds
Gero Jung, chief economist at Mirabaud Asset Management, argues that the European Central Bank is still optimistic, despite adopting a hawkish view on growth in Europe. Jung explains why interest rates will stay low for a long time—in Switzerland, too—and how Swiss pension funds might react.