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Swiss National Bank reports $143 billion loss, its largest ever...Most of the loss came from its holdings in foreign currencies.
UPI ^ | JAN. 9, 2023 / 10:17 AM | By Daniel J. Graeber

Posted on 01/09/2023 9:51:51 AM PST by Red Badger

Jan. 9 (UPI) -- The Swiss National Bank said Monday it was anticipating a $143 billion loss for 2022, the steepest loss in the bank's 116-year history.

The bank said this is only a provisional calculation for 2022 performance. Though it took a hit last year, the bank said it was expecting a $4.5 billion profit from its gold holdings.

Its positions in gold could be supportive during the new year, according to a research note from Denmark's Saxo Bank. Analysts there said precious metals in general are in vogue.

"Gold's newfound resilience and momentum from December has been carried over to January as investors seek shelter from what has been forecast to be another challenging year, especially for those with exposure to equities," analysts wrote.

Elsewhere, however, the bank took a good hit on currencies. It estimates the loss from the valuations of its holding in foreign currencies came at around $140 billion. As a result, it will not be able to make its usual payouts.

Analysis from Bloomberg news finds the staggering loss from the Swiss bank is a reflection of how central banks are adjusting to the new financial environment of higher inflation and a war premium for major commodities stemming from the conflict in Ukraine.

Like Switzerland, the Bank of England, for example, is putting money back into the Treasury to cover expected losses from its bond purchasing program rather than funneling money over to the public purse.

Bank policies meant to curb inflation, meanwhile, are affecting the value of national currencies, partially explaining the loss for the Swiss bank.

But it may be even more of an ominous loss considering the performance of the Swiss economy. The central bank's lending rate is only 1% and inflation is running at around 3%, compared with British and eurozone inflation of around 10% on an annual basis.

The bank recorded a $28.3 billion profit in 2021.

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TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Germany
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1 posted on 01/09/2023 9:51:51 AM PST by Red Badger
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To: Red Badger

And... it’s gone.


2 posted on 01/09/2023 9:59:31 AM PST by SpaceBar
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To: Red Badger

More FTX fallout?


3 posted on 01/09/2023 10:00:58 AM PST by dynachrome (“We cannot save Ukraine by dooming the US economy.” Rand Paul)
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To: Red Badger

What’s a few billion among Swiss bankers?


4 posted on 01/09/2023 10:01:37 AM PST by 9YearLurker
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To: SpaceBar

Where did it go?


5 posted on 01/09/2023 10:02:06 AM PST by crusty old prospector
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To: Red Badger

If you have a brain invest in land. not gold or money.


6 posted on 01/09/2023 10:03:11 AM PST by rellic
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To: Red Badger

Though it took a hit last year, the bank said it was expecting a $4.5 billion ***profit*** from its gold holdings.

profit comes from sales, not holdings... damn


7 posted on 01/09/2023 10:04:40 AM PST by Chode (there is no fall back position, there's no rally point, there is no LZ... we're on our own. #FJB)
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To: Chode

Mark to Market


8 posted on 01/09/2023 10:06:44 AM PST by LRoggy (Peter's Son's Business )
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To: crusty old prospector

Crypto is the best way to make billions and billions disappear without a trace.

If they lost that much on foreign currency they had to be trading on margin and wildly speculating.


9 posted on 01/09/2023 10:07:37 AM PST by cgbg (Claiming that laws and regs that limit “hate speech” stop freedom of speech is “hate speech”.)
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To: SpaceBar

This is the Swiss version of the Federal Reserve, not private money

Mark to Market is what this is about, not Crypto, not speculation.

If our Federal Reserve had to mark their assets to market, this loss would be tip money.


10 posted on 01/09/2023 10:08:58 AM PST by LRoggy (Peter's Son's Business )
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To: cgbg

It’s their CENTRAL BANK


11 posted on 01/09/2023 10:09:30 AM PST by LRoggy (Peter's Son's Business )
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To: Red Badger

Everyone needs to READ the article

The Swiss Central Bank decided to fight the markets to keep the Swiss franc competitive. The Swiss rely on exports. Inflation in Switzerland was much lower than the rest of the Euro Zone and investors were flocking to the Franc, hence the need to utilize assets to fight the open market trend.

According to the article, profits for this usually flow to the governments (in Switzerland, much of the spending is at the Canon level, not the Federal level) to support their budgets.

This year there won’t be money passed on.

It’s not Crypto, not speculating; just normal Central Bank operations to support how the Swiss economy runs.


12 posted on 01/09/2023 10:22:57 AM PST by LRoggy (Peter's Son's Business )
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To: Red Badger

Not a problem. We’ll just ship them more American printed dollars, just as we did with Credit Suisse and the UK.


13 posted on 01/09/2023 10:33:57 AM PST by Obadiah (Died suddenly: Obediently following the science to the grave.)
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To: Red Badger

Who cares, most of their money is blood money or derived from it. Let them go broke.


14 posted on 01/09/2023 10:38:08 AM PST by Reno89519 (DeSantis or Anyone But Trump in 2024. Time for Trump to Retire, Spend Time With His Family.)
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To: LRoggy

increase in value or equity, profit has always been defined as selling at higher than bought

Mark to market (MTM) is a method of measuring the fair value of accounts that can fluctuate over time, such as assets and liabilities. Mark to market aims to provide a realistic appraisal of an institution’s or company’s current financial situation based on current market conditions.


15 posted on 01/09/2023 10:42:47 AM PST by Chode (there is no fall back position, there's no rally point, there is no LZ... we're on our own. #FJB)
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To: Red Badger

holey shite, batman!


16 posted on 01/09/2023 10:42:50 AM PST by catnipman (In a post-covid world, ALL "science" is now political science: stolen elections have consequences)
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To: rellic

The problem with land is real-estate taxes make it expensive as a passive investment.


17 posted on 01/09/2023 10:43:44 AM PST by Lonesome in Massachussets (Forsan et haec olim meminisse iuvabit.)
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To: crusty old prospector

It said currency exchange. On January 9th, 2022 one U.S. Dollar cost 1.09 Swiss Franc. On January 9th, 2022, one U.S. Dollar cost 0.92 Swiss Franc. For every one billion U.S. Dollars the bank held, even if they never bought or sold a single one all year, they would have lost, on paper, 156 million Swiss Franc, valued at 169,500,000 U.S. Dollars at the end of the year. A lot of currencies were beat up even worse, and the Swiss may be holding a lot of Euros, British Pounds, and other similarly disadvantaged currencies. And likely a lot more than one billion U.S. dollars.


18 posted on 01/09/2023 10:54:07 AM PST by Lonesome in Massachussets (Forsan et haec olim meminisse iuvabit.)
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To: Lonesome in Massachussets

—”The problem with land is real-estate taxes make it expensive as a passive investment.”

Buy land, they are not making it anymore!

Can only go up?
That sales guy didn’t lie did he?


19 posted on 01/09/2023 11:05:42 AM PST by DUMBGRUNT ( "The enemy has overrun us. We are blowing up everything. Vive la France!"Dien Bien Phu last messa)
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To: DUMBGRUNT
Buy land, they are not making it anymore!

You've never been to Holland, I take it.

20 posted on 01/09/2023 11:19:36 AM PST by Lonesome in Massachussets (Forsan et haec olim meminisse iuvabit.)
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