Western countries imposed strong sanctions against Russia over the weekend while Russian President Putin put the nuclear forces under special alert. Marshall Gittler, Head of Investment Research at BDSwiss Group, commented; “The West piled on the sanctions on Russia, hitting it where it hurts – in the pocketbook. The moves aim to cut Russia off from the global financial system, lumping it together with such global economic and financial pariahs as Cuba and Iran.” The combination of aggressive sanctions and nuclear warning triggered a fresh dip in risk appetite. The moves at the Asian open were magnified by a lack of ... (full story)