Index

Reinsurance firm Swiss Re has given a preliminary estimate for global economic and insured losses from natural and man-made disasters of just $23 billion for the first-half of 2017, which is down 36% on the prior year and 30% below average. Economic losses are estimated at just $44 billion, down from $117 billion in H1 2016.

It’s another signal that reinsurance pricing is set to remain under pressure, as insured losses from catastrophes, man-made incidents and severe weather events come in well below (30%) the 10-year average of $33 billion meaning reinsurance capital levels will remain abundant.

Switzerland rankek first among the world’s top innovation leaders, according to Innovation Indicator 2017, the annul research which analyzed the innovative strength of 35 national economies on behalf of acatech-the German National Academy of Science and Engineering-and BDI-the Federation of German Industries.

Swiss consumer confidence strengthened in July, survey results from the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, or SECO, showed Wednesday.

The consumer confidence index rose to -3 in July from -8 in April. The score came in line with expectations. A similar high score was last posted in January 2017 and was the highest since July 2014.

Jeff Bezos on Thursday briefly topped Bill Gates as the world’s richest man following a spike in Amazon, according to data crunched by Forbes. But if Bill Browder’s numbers are correct, the massive fortunes of both tech giants combined still wouldn’t stack up to the real richest man in the world.

US-based Hermitage Capital Management Founder Bill Browder believes the Russian leader is the richest man in the world.

The CBOE Volatility Index .VIX, better known as the VIX and the most widely followed barometer of expected near-term stock market volatility, was down 0.24 points to 9.19, after earlier falling to 9.04, its lowest since December 1993. The VIX has never ended a session under 9 in its history but is on pace to log a close near that level today.

The VIX is derived from the price of S&P 500 Index .SPX options. A low VIX reading typically indicates a bullish outlook for stocks.

The fifth annual Global Retirement Index ranking from Natixis Global Asset Management has Norway, Switzerland, and Iceland holding on to the top three slots from 2016. The ranking creates an overall retirement security score for each country from 18 performance indicators that address finances, healthcare, material well-being, and quality of life. Countries are also ranked by those four sub-indexes. Switzerland has consistently topped the rankings since the index was launched five years ago.

According to a report by Russell Reynolds Associates, Fortune 500 companies are keen to employ women as general counsel with 35 per cent of open general counsel positions filled by women last year. The increase is attributed to the need for in-house experience which companies now want, having previously hired one in three general counsel from top partner ranks in law firms. Women, who are still struggling to get on the equity partnership ladder, are turning away from law firms to corporate life. Within the last three years, 91 percent of women hired externally had in-house experience and 61 percent had been a general counsel.

Sweden is the Best Country to be an Immigrant, according to new analysis from U.S. News & World Report. Canada, Switzerland, Australia and Germany round out the top five. Part of the Best Countries report, the new ranking assesses the international perceptions of 80 countries, their immigration policies and economic data.

Eric Gertler, co-chairman of U.S. News and the New York Daily News, said that the experience of creating the best countries ranking showed them that many people view immigration as the most important issue in the world.