On the 8th of June, De Nederlandsche Bank (the Dutch central bank) released their prognosis for 2020 in which they expect the Dutch annual Gross Domestic Product to shrink by 6.4 percent.

On the 30th of April Shell announced it would reduce its dividends for the first time in 75 years. The dividend will be reduced from € 0.48 to € 0.16. Shell follows the Norse oil giant Equinor which also reduced its dividend by 66%.

The COVID-19 virus and its impact on public life is the conversation of the day and will likely remain the conversation for many days to come. Where the corona outbreak is in the first place a public health crisis, it has not in the last place also an adverse economic impact.

The 31st of January the Brexit finally occurred, more than three years after the notorious Brexit-referendum the United Kingdom (UK) finally left the European Union (EU). The UK moved into the so-called transition period, scheduled to the end of this year, in which she still follows EU regulation and trade on free terms with the continent.

The recent assassination of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani increased tensions worldwide. When such occurrence take place, investors usually steer their portfolio to more traditional safe-haven assets such as the Swiss Franc or gold.

For most of you it probably did not went by unnoticed. Last Friday and the days surround it, there was a rush for the best shopping deals at retail and web shops. Black Friday with its crazy discounts was reigning in the country again.

The first of November will be a remarkable day for the European Monetary Union (EMU). The current president of the European Central Bank (ECB) Mario Draghi will be succeeded after a term of 8 years by Christine Lagarde.