Switzerland

The United States Congress moved closer to passing a bill that would punish countries that the United States accuses of keeping their currencies artificially low. The law is clearly aimed at China, which has long been accused of manipulating its currency in order to make its exports more...

The euro dropped to an 8-month low against the American dollar, as concerns over Greece's ability to pay its debts continued to put pressure on the eurozone currency. European stock markets were also down during Monday trading as investors worried about the effect that a Greek default would have on...

The government of German Chancellor Angela Merkel won a victory on Thursday when the German parliament passed a vote expanding the powers of the institution charged with saving troubled eurozone members like Greece, Ireland and Italy from default. The German Parliament overwhelmingly approved a...

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao crushed the hopes of many European optimists on Wednesday when he said while attending the World Economic Forum that it was up to European countries to "put their own houses in order" instead of hoping for cash rich China to bail them out. Premier Wen was responding in...

The markets were shocked yesterday when Switzerland's central bank announced that it was putting a ceiling on how high it would allow the Swiss franc to trade in relation to the euro. The Swiss National Bank (SNB) has warned investors for months with words and deeds that it would not allow the...

The French economy unexpectedly stagnated during the 2nd quarter, according to France's National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies, which reported that France's 2nd quarter economic growth rate was 0% and that consumer spending fell 0.9%. The news is troubling because France is the...

Switzerland's central bank is considering further measures to keep the country's currency from appreciating any further. The Swiss National Bank (SNB) has already increased liquidity and reduced interests over the last week but has warned speculators that it considers the Swiss currency to be "...

Switzerland's central bank increased its efforts to cool a rising Swiss franc that threatens the competitiveness of the country's exporters. The Swiss franc has become an even more popular safe haven currency in the aftermath of Standard & Poor's downgrade of the United States' credit rating...

The governments of Italy and Spain are breathing a sigh of relief as a bond purchasing market intervention by the European Central Bank (ECB) has pushed down yields on bonds issued by the two troubled eurozone members. The European Central Bank's previous efforts to keep the yields of troubled...

Several Asian stock market indexes hit 52-week lows during trading on Monday in Asia, the first day of trading after Standard & Poor's lowered its rating of United States government debt. While much of the selloff in Asian stocks could be blamed on the Standard & Poor's move to lower its...

Stock markets across Asia had a dismal performance a day after the Dow Jones Industrial Average suffered its biggest single-day drop in nearly three years. Asian stock markets started the week off on a positive note, rising after news broke that President Barack Obama and Congressional leaders had...

A day after Switzerland acted to weaken the Franc, Japan moved Thursday to tame the Yen's strength by selling one trillion Yen, or more than $12 billion. Japan's action today sent the dollar up against the Yen and most major currencies, including the Euro and Pound Sterling. Finance officials have...

The Japanese yen plunged in Thursday's trading as the Bank of Japan intervenes to weaken the yen. Presently, the U.S. dollar added 3.04% to its value against the yen to trade around ¥79.38, while the euro stands around ¥113.31, or 2.7% above its previous close. On Thursday, the Bank of Japan sent...

Asian stock markets continued to fall during Wednesday trading as concerns over America's economy continued to overshadow the recent positive news that the United States was able to avoid a default on its debt. Asian stocks began the week on the upswing after it was announced that President Barack...

With concerns about the U.S. debt ceiling and European bailouts continuing to persist, many investors are looking for ways to hedge against the falling euro and greenback. Gold has become a popular investment for many, but it's not the only game in town. One answer could lie with the Swiss Franc...