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Swiss producer and import prices stabilise

Switzerland’s Producer and Import Price Index remained unchanged in June when compared to the previous month. The index is watched for clues about the future of Swiss consumer prices, which are the basis for the Swiss National Bank’s (SNB) monetary policy decisions. Stocks in Europe were down across the board to start the week, while in the US, tech stocks lagged again on Monday and the Dow Jones Industrial and S&P 500 reached new highs. Asian trading was mixed Tuesday.

Date
Author
Shane Strowmatt, LGT
Reading time
5 minutes

Swiss franc
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Higher prices for food were driving the Swiss Producer and Import Price Index upward, but lower prices for petroleum products kept overall prices in check. The overall price level of both domestic and imported products decreased by 1.9% compared to June 2023. Import prices drove the year-on-year drop, falling 3.2% since June of last year. Easing consumer inflation was the main concern of the SNB when last month it became the first of the world’s major central banks to cut rates at two consecutive policy meetings during the current cycle. The strength of the franc influences the price of imports with the franc’s all-time high versus the euro near 1.08 in January causing the prices of imported goods to plummet. The Swiss franc was trading around 1.025 versus the euro on Monday. Switzerland’s SMI fell 0.9% on Monday while European equities were down across the board. The Euro Stoxx 50 lost 1.2%.

Dow Jones Industrial hits new all-time again

In New York, stock indices were helped higher by comments by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, who said current data was raising confidence that inflation is moving towards the central bank’s 2% target. Furthermore, he confirmed that the Fed doesn’t plan to wait until inflation reaches 2% to begin cutting interest rates, sparking positive sentiment on equity markets. The Dow Jones Industrial broke through its all-time high again, gaining 0.5% to close at 40,211.72 points. The S&P 500 likewise hit a new all-time high, closing 0.3% higher on Monday. The Nasdaq-100 gained 0.3% as well, but remained below last week’s highs.

Assets related to Trump soar

Stocks investors consider to be potential beneficiaries of a second Trump presidency were trading higher on Monday after the former president avoided an assassination attempt at the weekend, increasing the likelihood of him being elected again. Trump Media shares shot up 31.4%. Gunmakers Smith & Wesson (+11.4%) and Sturm, Ruger & Co (+5.4%) were also up to start the week. Bitcoin gained around 6% versus the US dollar on Monday and was trading near USD 64,000, a three-week high. Trump is scheduled to speak at a Bitcoin conference in Nashville, Tennessee, at the end of the month. Also on Monday, Trump picked Ohio Senator James David Vance to be his vice-presidential running partner for the November election, a move likely aimed at appealing to voters in the swing states of that region of the country, including Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania.

In other individual stocks, Goldman Sachs shares were up 2.6% after the US bank reported a jump in revenue and pre-tax profit, beating market expectations. Wealth management and trading drove the strong results. The benchmark KBW Bank Index gained 1.8% on Monday.

Asian trading mixed

In the Asia-Pacific region, stock markets were mixed as traders continued to look for clues about the future of the world’s second-largest economy coming out of China’s third plenum, where government officials determine long-term policies relevant for economic and social issues. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index was trading 1.3% lower, while the CSI 300 was up 0.5%. In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 gained 0.2% after trading resumed following Monday’s public holiday. In South Korea, the Kospi was 0.3% higher and Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 lost 0.2%.

Corporate and macroeconomic calendars

Corporate news in focus: Second-quarter figures from Bank of America, Charles Schwab, Progressive, Morgan Stanley.

Economic data in focus: ECB Bank Lending Survey, Germany’s ZEW Indicator of Economic Sentiment, US retail sales, Canadian Consumer Price Index.

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Publisher: LGT Bank (Switzerland) Ltd., Glärnischstrasse 36, CH-8027 Zurich
Editor: Alessandro Fezzi
Source: LGT Bank (Switzerland) Ltd.

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