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☆ The global cities with the best quality of life show how dire the affordability crisis is
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

AdvertisementLiving in a global city with a high quality of life is increasingly reserved for the wealthiest. The world's most liveable cities — for the wealthyThe rising cost of housing, food, and other household goods is helping worsen the affordability crisis in these cities. Vienna, for example, has kept housing costs remarkably low through its generous social housing system. The average studio apartment in Zurich costs $1.1 million and the average home across the country costs $1.4 million, the Times reported. Like in many American cities, a severe housing shortage in cities like Zurich and Geneva is also contributing to rising home costs.

Persons: —, EIU Organizations: Service, Economist's Intelligence, The New York Times, Times, Swiss Locations: Zurich, Copenhagen, Vienna, Austria Copenhagen, Denmark Melbourne, Australia Sydney, Australia Vancouver, Canada Zurich, Switzerland Geneva, Switzerland, Calgary, Canada, —, Geneva, Singapore, New York, Hong Kong Los Angeles Paris, France Copenhagen, Tel Aviv, Israel, Vancouver, Sydney, Paris

☆ Top wealth manager Julius Baer caught in property write-off storm as CEO steps down
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A pedestrian sheltering under an umbrella passes a Julius Baer Group Ltd. branch in Zurich, Switzerland, on Tuesday, July 13, 2021. Group Chair Romeo Lacher said he and the board "deeply regret" net credit losses of 606 million Swiss francs ($701 million), well above consensus expectations, which include a loan loss allowance of 586 million francs. Julius Baer in November announced its exposure to the struggling Austrian company, which has been hit by the higher interest rate environment. It further said Thursday it would exit its private debt businesses, winding down its remaining private debt book of 800 million million Swiss francs, 2% of its total loan book. The bank reported net profit attributable to shareholders of 454 million Swiss francs for the full-year 2023, down 52%, with earnings per share of 2.21 francs.

Persons: Julius Baer, Philipp Rickenbacher, Romeo Lacher, Rickenbacher, Nic Dreckmann, Anke Reingen Organizations: Julius Baer Group, Signa, Austrian, CNBC, Swiss, RBC Locations: Zurich, Switzerland, Swiss

☆ Analysis-West Africa's 'Brexit' Moment Spells Trouble for the Region
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +6 min

Ivory Coast alone is home to more than 5 million people from Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. Earlier this month, Russia and Niger, ruled by a junta since a coup last year, agreed to develop military ties. Russian military personnel flew into Burkina Faso's capital Ouagadougou last week to ensure the safety of the country's military leader. EMPTY THREATECOWAS has responded to a wave of coups in the region since 2020 with sanctions that the juntas have called "illegal and inhumane." "The departure from ECOWAS will have catastrophic consequences for the ability to respond to the many security challenges facing this region," said Abba.

Persons: Bate Felix, David Lewis, Giulia Paravicini, Seidik Abba, Russia's Wagner, Mucahid Durmaz, Verisk Maplecroft, Charlie Robertson, Kwesi Aning, Gilles Yabi, Adama Coulibaly, Nagnouma Keita, Abba, Tiemoko Diallo, Boureima, Silvia Aloisi, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: Giulia Paravicini DAKAR, West, West African States, Reuters, Islamic, FIM Partners, European Union, ECOWAS, CFA Locations: Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Russia, Ivory Coast, Niger . Niger, Nigeria, Paris, Ghana, Togo, Benin, France, United States, Burkina Faso's, Ouagadougou, West Africa, United, London, Bamako, Guinea, China

☆ The 10 most expensive cities in the world
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Madison Hoff | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Geneva, Paris, and San Francisco were among the 10 most expensive cities. 1 in a ranking of how expensive 173 cities around the world are. AdvertisementAn EIU article noted that while New York and two other US cities were part of the top 10 most expensive cities based on the cities analyzed, the article stated that "North American cities have, on average, slipped down our cost-of-living ranking." Singapore was also the most expensive city in the world last year when it tied with New York. AdvertisementHere are the most expensive cities, each with their index noted below from the EIU report.

Persons: —, EIU, Hong Kong, Syetarn, Hansakul Organizations: Economist Intelligence, Singapore, Service, Business, New, Swiss, Hong Locations: Zurich, Geneva, Paris, San Francisco, Singapore, New York City, New York, Hong Kong, Tel Aviv, Israel, Copenhagen, Denmark

☆ The world’s most expensive cities in which to live in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Tamara Hardingham-Gill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Inflation predictionsZurich, Switzerland (pictured) tied with Singapore as the world's most expensive city on the Worldwide Cost of Living Index from the Economist Intelligence Unit. Maremagnum/Corbis Documentary RF/Getty ImagesThe city-state of Singapore and Switzerland’s Zurich were named as the most expensive cities in the world. Movers and shakersHong Kong, the "Pearl of the Orient," came in fifth on the list of the world's most expensive cities to live in. The 2023 Worldwide Cost of Living surveyed 173 major cities, comparing more than 400 individual prices across 200 products and services. The world’s 10 most expensive cities for 20231.

Persons: who’s, Pol Albarrán, Price, ” Upasana Dutt, Dutt, Chunyip Wong, San Francisco Organizations: CNN, Economist Intelligence Unit, Economist Intelligence, Getty, Denmark's Copenhagen, Switzerland’s, New York, Singapore, Tel, Denmark’s, Orient, 171st, Venezuela’s, Paris, ., San Locations: Zurich, Switzerland, Singapore, China, Israel, El, –, Tel Aviv, Switzerland’s Zurich, Swiss, Switzerland’s Geneva, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Paris, Denmark’s Copenhagen, San Francisco, Moscow, St, Petersburg, Ukraine, Beijing, Damascus, Syria, Tehran, Iran, Tripoli, Libya, Western, Venezuela’s Caracas, York, Geneva, . Tel Aviv, Copenhagen

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON/NEW YORK, Nov 30 (Reuters) - After making hay when a summer bond rout propelled the U.S. dollar to 10-month highs, hedge funds are now pondering what lies ahead for the greenback. Five funds shared their views on the fate of the dollar. This does not represent recommendations or trading positions, which some hedge funds cannot reveal for regulatory reasons. He expects the U.S. economy to slow sharply which, alongside falling inflation, will likely hurt the dollar against some emerging market currencies. The Brazilian real, trading at 4.8908 per dollar , is up roughly 8% so far this year against the dollar.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Jonathan Fader, Fader, Doug Greenig, Florin Court's, Greenig, Tara Hariharan, Hariharan, NWI, Carlos Calabresi, Michael Sager, Sager, Nell Mackenzie, Carolina Mandl, Dhara Ranasinghe, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: REUTERS, U.S, greenback, Swiss, Reuters, FLORIN, China Foreign Exchange Trade, Long, Garde, CIBC, Thomson Locations: U.S, American, Brazil, Colombia, Hungary, Poland, China, Asia, Brazilian, London, Carolina, New York

☆ Singapore, Zurich world's most expensive cities - EIU
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

HONG KONG, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Singapore and Zurich tied for the world's most expensive city this year, followed by Geneva, New York and Hong Kong, the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) said on Thursday as it cautioned that the global cost-of-living crisis was not yet over. Singapore regained the top of the rankings for the ninth time in the past eleven years due to high price levels across several categories. The city state has the world's highest transport prices, owing to strict government controls on car numbers. Zurich's rise reflected the strength of the Swiss franc and high prices for groceries, household goods and recreation, it said. Geneva and New York tied for third place, while Hong Kong was fifth and Los Angeles in sixth.

Persons: Hong Kong, Farah Master, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Economist Intelligence Unit, Singapore, Swiss, New York, Los Angeles, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, Singapore, Zurich, Geneva , New York, Hong Kong, Geneva, New, Hong, Asia, Nanjing, Wuxi, Dalian, Beijing, Osaka, Tokyo, Japan

☆ What one Swiss bank's troubles can tell us about market vulnerabilities — and social media
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A pedestrian sheltering under an umbrella passes a Julius Baer Group Ltd. branch in Zurich, Switzerland, on Tuesday, July 13, 2021. The share price of Julius Baer plummeted after the Swiss private bank disclosed 606 million Swiss francs ($692.7 million) of loan exposure to a single conglomerate client. The 606 million Swiss franc exposure to one client — via three loans to different entities within a European conglomerate — is collateralized by commercial real estate and luxury retail, the company revealed. The bank last week booked provisions of 70 million Swiss francs to cover the risk of a single borrower in its private loan book. The European Central Bank recently examined the commercial real estate sector and the provisioning methods and capital buffers of European banks.

Persons: Julius Baer, Signa, Julius Baer's CET1, DBRS Morningstar, Vitaline Yeterian, Elisabeth Rudman, Julius Baer's Organizations: Julius Baer Group, Austrian, DBRS, CNBC, European Central Bank, Swiss Locations: Zurich, Switzerland, Swiss

The New Zealand dollar was last up 1.1% at a four-month high of $0.6207, having blown past resistance. The U.S. dollar, meanwhile, slid to fresh multi-month lows on the euro, yen, sterling, the Australian dollar, yuan and Swiss franc. Overnight Fed Governor Christopher Waller - an influential and previously hawkish voice at the U.S. central bank - told the American Enterprise Institute that rate cuts could begin in a matter of months, provided inflation keeps falling. Fed funds futures rallied on the remark to price more than hundred basis points of cuts in 2024 and 40% chance they begin as soon as March. Two-year Treasury yields fell sharply and along with the dollar fell further still in Asia.

Persons: Christopher Waller, Governor Waller's, Tapas Strickland, Jerome Powell, Waller, CONDITIONALITY Waller's, Seng, Vishnu Varathan, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: New Zealand, Nikkei, U.S ., Swiss, U.S, American Enterprise Institute, Governor, National Australia Bank, Fed, HK, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, Asia, Pacific, Japan, Hong Kong, Sydney, China, Meituan, Zealand, Singapore

☆ IOTA launches $100 million entity in Abu Dhabi to create digital network
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

IOTA digital tokens will fund the investment. The foundation will be seeded with over $100 million in IOTA tokens, to be vested over the next four years, Schiener said. IOTA tokens on Tuesday traded at about $0.17, with a market capitalization of roughly $524 million, Coinmarketcap.com showed. The funds will be used to develop the IOTA network and accelerate its growth, Schiener said. IOTA will also start "tokenizing" assets, he said, a process in which ownership rights in land or buildings are represented as digital tokens and stored on a blockchain.

Persons: Satoshi bitcoin, Arnd, Dominik Schiener, Binance, Schiener, Hamad Sayah Al Mazrouei, Gertrude Chavez, Dreyfuss, Alden Bentley, Richard Chang Organizations: Swiss, Bity, REUTERS, IOTA, Wednesday, Abu Dhabi Global, United Arab, Registration, ADGM, Thomson Locations: Zurich, Switzerland, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, UAE, Europe, Germany

☆ Julius Baer declines to confirm Signa exposure
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ZURICH, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Julius Baer's Chief Executive declined to confirm on Wednesday whether the private bank's 606 million Swiss franc ($693 million) exposure it disclosed earlier this week is to toppled property giant Signa. The CEO said it was too early to say what specific lessons could be learned relating to the large exposure in its private debt business. Troubled property group Signa, which owns scores of high-profile projects and department stores, declared insolvency on Wednesday. Signa, controlled by an Austrian magnate, has borrowed heavily from banks including Julius Baer, which on Monday disclosed it had an exposure of more than 600 million Swiss francs, the largest in its private debt loan book, to a European conglomerate. "I believe Julius Baer will be able to continue its risk appetite and its risk capacity as we have on average in the last few years."

Persons: Julius Baer's, Philipp Rickenbacher, Julius Baer, Rickenbacher, Noele Illien, Elaine Hardcastle, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: Financial Times, Global Banking, Thomson Locations: ZURICH, Austrian

☆ Morning Bid: Vale Charlie Munger
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Vice-Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway Corporation Charlie Munger speaks to Reuters during an interview in Omaha, Nebraska May 3, 2013. The union of Munger and Warren Buffett is among the most successful in the history of business, transforming Berkshire Hathaway into a multi-billion dollar conglomerate. Often handy with a one-liner Munger summed up his fame in 2010: "I think part of the popularity of Berkshire Hathaway is that we look like people who have found a trick," he said. Two-year Treasury yields fell to a four-month low just below 4.70%. Ten-year Treasury yields hit a two-month low of 4.28%.

Persons: Charlie Munger, Lane, Tom Westbrook, Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway, Munger, Christopher Waller, Waller's, China's stockmarkets, Sam Holmes Organizations: Berkshire Hathaway, Reuters, REUTERS, Investors, Swiss, greenback, Spanish CPI, Thomson Locations: Omaha , Nebraska, Munger, Berkshire, Asia, New, Spanish

☆ US dollar rallies from 3-1/2-month low after GDP data; rate cut bets intact
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"The GDP data helped the dollar a little bit. "So if we're seeing some strength on the cyclical side of the economy, then that could be challenging the rate cut narrative a little bit." U.S. rate futures, however, increased bets of a rate cut starting in March, following the GDP data, to a nearly 50% chance of easing, compared with nearly 35% late on Tuesday, the CME's FedWatch tool showed. Comments by Fed Governor Christopher Waller flagging a possible rate cut in the months ahead sent U.S. bond yields and the dollar sliding on Tuesday. China's onshore yuan finished the domestic session at 7.1246 per dollar, the strongest closing price since June 16.

Persons: Erik F, Christopher Waller, Wells Fargo's Nelson Organizations: US, Swiss, New Zealand, U.S . Commerce Department, Reuters, New, Reserve Bank of New Zealand Locations: Swedish, Hamburg, Germany, U.S, Wells Fargo, London, Europe's, Spain

The dollar index , which measures its value against six major currencies, fell as far as 102.89, the lowest since Aug. 31. The index is on track for a loss of more than 3% in November, its worst performance since November 2022. The Conference Board said its consumer confidence index increased to 102.0 this month from a downwardly revised 99.1 in October. In other currencies, the euro rose to a 3-1/2-month peak of $1.0985 . The dollar fell 0.2% to 148.33 yen , with the Japanese currency continuing its recovery from the brink of 152 per dollar earlier in the month.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Sterling, Karl Schamotta, underscoring, Gertrude Chavez, Dreyfuss, Alun John, Brigid Riley, Ed Osmond, Mark Potter, Kevin Liffey Organizations: REUTERS, U.S, Federal Reserve, Board, Federal Housing Finance Agency, Traders, Australian, New Zealand, Reserve Bank of New, Thomson Locations: Swiss, U.S, Toronto, OPEC, Reserve Bank of New Zealand, New York, London, Tokyo

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO/LONDON, Nov 28 (Reuters) - The U.S. dollar hit a three-month low against a basket of peers on Tuesday before steadying, as traders continued to unwind long dollar positions before this week's U.S. and euro zone inflation data. The dollar index , a measure of the greenback against six major currencies, was last at 103.17, a whisker above the 103.07 it touched in Asia trade, the lowest since Aug. 31. The index is on track for a loss of more than 3% in November, its worst performance in a year. The Japanese yen was a touch firmer at 148.45 per dollar , continuing its recovery from the brink of 152 per dollar earlier in the month as the dollar weakened. The Swiss franc was at 0.8810 per dollar, steady on the day, also around its firmest since the start of September, and the Australian dollar briefly touched a near four-month high of $0.6632.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Simon Harvey, Brigid Riley, Alun John, Ed Osmond, Mark Potter Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, U.S, greenback . U.S, Fed, Reuters, Swiss, Australian, Reserve Bank of New, Thomson Locations: LONDON, steadying, U.S, Asia, OPEC, Reserve Bank of New Zealand

☆ Euro bounces as investors cling to sliver of positive euro zone data
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Amanda Cooper | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

REUTERS/Marcos Brindicci/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 23 (Reuters) - The euro rose on Thursday for the first time this week, after data suggested the downturn in the euro zone economy may be starting to ease, although holidays in the United States and Japan kept trading activity muted. The euro rose broadly, gaining the most against the Swedish crown , after the Swedish central bank left rates unchanged, while also gaining on the yen and the Swiss franc. The survey showed the euro zone economy is on track to contract again in the fourth quarter. Its PMI rose to 43.8 from 43.1, beating the poll expectation for 43.4 but was still below breakeven. Sterling was last up 0.5% on the day at $1.2558, having risen to a high of $1.2575 after the PMI data.

Persons: Marcos Brindicci, There's, Michael Brown, Brown, Geert Wilders, Sterling, Jeremy Hunt, Jeff Ng, Changpeng Zhao, Vidya Ranganathan, Lincoln, Emelia Organizations: REUTERS, Swiss, PMI, European Central Bank, Fed, University of Michigan, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Markets, Bank of Japan, Thomson Locations: Buenos Aires, Argentina, United States, Japan, Germany, Swedish, EU, Wednesday's, Netherlands, Asia, Singapore

☆ Factbox-The Big Topics That Will Define Congo's Election
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

But despite its wealth of copper, cobalt and other resources, little is passed down to ordinary Congolese. Tshisekedi has sought to rein in China's 70% share of Congo's mining sector by re-negotiating that and other contracts. Risk-averse companies that had previously avoided Congo's mining sector due to instability are taking a second look as new opportunities to tap into its minerals emerge. Nearly 7 million people are displaced in Congo as of June, the International Organization for Migration said, up 17% from October 2022. Opposition parties said registrations were skewed by the national election commission to favour Tshisekedi's ruling coalition.

Persons: Edward McAllister DAKAR, Felix Tshisekedi's, Tshisekedi, Joseph Kabila, Zaynab Hoosen, Tshisekedi's, China's CMOC, Maja Bovcon, Kabila, Gecamines, Bovcon, Martin Fayulu, Moise Katumbi, Denis Mukwege, Edward McAllister, Ange Kasongo, Sonia Rolley, Bate Felix, Christina Fincher Organizations: Democratic, International Monetary Fund, Notre, Congolese, United Nations, International Organization for Migration, Oxford Economics, Islamic State, Allied Democratic Forces, Cooperative for, Senior, Catholic Church Locations: Democratic Republic of Congo, Saharan Africa, Kinshasa, Oxford Economics Africa, Congo, China, North Kivu, DR Congo

Bets on oil prices moving up from here are at their highest level since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, CME options market volatility data shows. Average daily volumes in energy options of the CME exchange overall are the highest since an all-time record in 2018. "The aftermath of the attacks and rising Middle East tensions did not impact oil prices as many investors expected, including ourselves," Unigestion multi-asset portfolio manager Sandrine Perret said. Reuters Graphics3/ DEFENCE STOCKSA gauge of defence stocks compiled by index provider MarketVector (.MVDEF) is 8% higher in the four weeks since the conflict began. It's also near eight-year highs versus the euro and therefore another asset class attracting questions about how it would perform if Middle East tensions are resolved.

Persons: Abdel Hadi Ramahi, Israel, Sandrine Perret, Derek Sammann, Gold, Jeff, Mikhail Zverev, Ron Temple, It's, Francesca Fornasari, Fornasari, Elisa Belgacem, Brent, Naomi Rovnick, Marc Jones, Dhara Ranasinghe, David Evans Organizations: United Arab Emirates, REUTERS, U.S White, Aegon, Reuters, Global, Defence, Lazard Asset Management, Swiss, Insight Investment, Generali Investments, Thomson Locations: Dubai, United Arab, Hamas, Israel, Gaza, Ukraine, Jordan, Egypt, China, Taiwan, Europe

☆ A rare blue diamond just sold for $44 million at a Christie's auction
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A rare blue diamond set in a ring sold for $43.8 million at a Christie's auction in Geneva. Christie's said that the 17.61-carat diamond, the Bleu Royal, is among the rarest to exist. AdvertisementAdvertisementA rare blue diamond set in a ring sold for 39.505 million Swiss franc ($43.8 million) at a Christie's auction in Geneva on Tuesday. The 17.61-carat Bleu Royal diamond is pear-shaped and is described as a "Fancy Vivid Blue" gem. "Large, vivid fancy color diamonds are extremely rare and very valuable," according to the Gemological Institute of America (GIA).

Persons: Christie's, —, Denis Balibouse, Reuters Christie's, Cartier, – Organizations: Gemological Institute of America, Service, GIA, Reuters Locations: Geneva

The vivid blue diamond, known as "Bleu Royal" and set in a ring, is among the rarest ever to be unearthed. Max Fawcett, head of Christie's jewellery department in Geneva, said the diamond was unique because of its a deep rich blue colour and its unmodified pear brilliant shape. At its auction on Tuesday, Christie's sold dozens of rare jewellery pieces worth a combined total of more than $77 million. In a separate sale on Monday, Christie's sold a Rolex wristwatch worn by Marlon Brando in the 1979 movie "Apocalypse Now" for more than 4.5 million Swiss francs ($4.99 million). Two years ago, that same watch sold at auction for 2 million Swiss francs.

Persons: Carola Chiadini, Denis, Rahul Kadakia, Max Fawcett, Christie's, Fawcett, There's, Marlon Brando, Cécile Mantovani, Gabrielle Tétrault, Farber, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Geneva, Switzerland, GENEVA, America

☆ How the Humble Sheet Cake Became Top Tier
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Martha Cheng | Sharon Radisch | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The Los Angeles-based baker Michelle Boulos can still picture the sheet cakes she ate as a child: slathered with bright white frosting, decorated with tiny plastic balloons. But the confections she makes and sells via her Instagram account No Good Cakes are something else entirely. On one recent creation, frills of buttercream surrounded an acid green ombré surface inspired by a chemical spill. Boulos, 34, started baking the fantastical cakes out of her home in 2022 after making one for a wedding. “I got bitten by the sheet cake bug,” she says.

Persons: Michelle Boulos, “, Lucie Franc de Ferriere, Rose Wilde, Red, ”, Julie Saha Locations: Los Angeles, Manhattan, Lucie, Williamsburg, Brooklyn

[1/2] Dollar, Euro and Pound banknotes are seen in this picture illustration taken April 28, 2017. The euro was last up 0.27% at $1.06515, and thanks to gains earlier in the week was heading for a weekly gain of 0.8%, which would be its most since July. Sterling likewise was up 0.2% on the day at $1.2228, and set for a 0.86% weekly gain, also its most since July. Both the Aussie and the New Zealand dollars are up 1.7% for the week, their best weekly performance since again mid-July. The dollar is heading for a weekly gain of 0.25% on the franc and was last at 0.9041 francs.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Sterling, Jerome Powell, We've, BOE, Yusuke Miyairi, Detroit's, Kazuo Ueda, Ankur Banerjee, Rae Wee, Gerry Doyle, Kim Coghill, David Evans Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, U.S . Treasury Department, Federal, Fed, Treasury, Nomura, Analysts, United Auto Workers, UAW, Bank of England, Bank of Japan, Reuters, New, Swiss, Thomson Locations: Rights SINGAPORE, LONDON, U.S, New Zealand, Singapore

GENEVA, Nov 2 (Reuters) - The largest internally flawless fancy vivid blue diamond ever put up for auction could sell for up to $50 million at a Christie's sale of rare jewels in Geneva on Nov. 7, the auctioneer said on Thursday. Known as "Bleu Royal," this vivid blue diamond - which is set in a ring - is among the rarest ever to be unearthed. "What makes Bleu Royal so rare and special is its size. In 2016, Christie's sold a rare, 14.6-carat blue diamond known as the "Oppenheimer Blue" for more than $57 million. Two years ago the watch, now valued at between 1 million and 2 million Swiss francs, sold at auction for $2 million Swiss francs ($2.2 million).

Persons: Rahul Kadakia, Christie's, Oppenheimer, Kadakia, we've, Carola Chiadini, Denis Balibouse, Audrey Hepburn, Marlon Brando, Remi Guillemin, Guillemin, Gabrielle Tétrault, Farber, Cécile, Matthew Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, Thomson Locations: GENEVA, Geneva, Asia, Europe, Switzerland, Christie's

Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda attends a press conference after its policy meeting in Tokyo, Japan October 31, 2023, in this photo taken by Kyodo. In addition, interest rate changes were asymmetric — Fed rate hikes following stock market recoveries were usually muted compared with the initial cuts. This was an explicit, open-ended policy to hold the currency at a set level and flood the Swiss economy and markets with oceans of liquidity, but essentially still a central bank put. As Marc Chandler at Bannockburn Global Forex points out, it is financial stability that is ultimately - and rightly - at the heart of the so-called central bank put. "There is a perception or myth that has built up around the central bank put.

Persons: Kazuo Ueda, Alan Greenspan, Louis, William Poole, Greenspan, Steven Englander, Marc Chandler, Chandler, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Japan, Kyodo, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Bank of Japan, Federal Reserve, Louis Fed, Swiss National Bank, Standard Chartered, National Bureau of Economic Research, Swiss, Reuters, Bannockburn Global, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Rights ORLANDO , Florida, New York, Switzerland, Swiss, Bannockburn

☆ Swiss National Bank posts 12 bln franc Q3 loss
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A general view shows the building of the Swiss National Bank (SNB) in Zurich, Switzerland March 7, 2022. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsZURICH, Oct 31 (Reuters) - The Swiss National Bank on Tuesday posted a 12.04 billion franc ($13.36 billion) loss for the third quarter as the central bank lost money on its gold, foreign currency investments and Swiss franc positions. In addition, the central bank reported a 2.66 billion franc loss from Swiss franc positions, mainly as a result of interest paid to commercial banks. The SNB's results have been highly volatile in recent years, due to the vast level of foreign currency investments it built up during a long campaign to weaken the Swiss franc. The central bank posted a 132.5 billion Swiss franc loss in 2022, the biggest in the central bank's 115-year-history.

Persons: Arnd, John Revill, Friederike Heine, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: Swiss National Bank, Rights, Swiss, Thomson Locations: Zurich, Switzerland

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