20 Minutes. Geneva’s Ensemble à gauche and Socialist parties want to see compulsory dental care and presented a proposal to Geneva’s parliament in mid-February. On Monday Geneva’s labour party (Parti du travail) launched a cantonal initiative for the same thing. The plan would be funded by compulsory salary deductions of 1%. Half of this would be categorised as […]
Swiss GDP pick-up beats forecast
Brought to you by Investec Switzerland. The Swiss economy returned to growth at the end of last year as it fought off the impact of a currency shock that had threatened to push the country into a recession. Gross domestic product rose 0.4 percent in the three months through December, after contracting 0.1 percent in the […]
The SMI’s limited exposure to oil and energy left it trailing global gains
26 February 2016 – Swiss and global market roundup. Brought to you by Investec Switzerland. The SMI is set to close modestly higher this week, although lagging behind gains of global equity markets. Stock markets around the world benefited from a substantial rebound in the price of crude oil this week which has been a key […]
Swiss franc rises on ‘Brexit’ angst
Brought to you by Investec Switzerland. Once again, Switzerland is getting saddled with unwanted currency appreciation due to other nations’ struggles. The franc posted its biggest gain since August against the euro as concern that the U.K. may exit the European Union dragged down the pound and with it the 19-nation shared currency. China’s decision to cut […]
Why the new Swiss bank notes are set to become even more sought after
Swiss money is about to change. On 12 April 2016, the Swiss National Bank (SNB) will put a new 50-franc note into circulation. The new 20-franc note will be released the following year, and the other four denominations – 10, 100, 200 and 1,000, at half-yearly or yearly intervals after this date, with the last hitting […]
Swiss share market up despite continued decline in sentiment
19 February 2016 – Swiss and global market roundup. Brought to you by Investec Switzerland. The SMI is set to close higher this week tracking gains of global equity markets. The SMI recovered almost a third of its year to date losses this week on higher oil prices, hopes of new Chinese economic stimulus and a […]
Freelance working on the rise in Switzerland
According to a new study by Deloitte, one in four people in Switzerland works as a freelancer and another 25% would like to next year. Technology and the internet are the main drivers behind the trend. The shift to knowledge intensive careers is allowing greater mobility. 28% already work at least half a day a […]
Swiss watch exports drop further in January
Brought to you by Investec Switzerland. Swiss watch exports slid for the seventh consecutive month as plummeting stocks and slowing economies damped demand for luxury timepieces in their main markets. The two biggest destinations for Swiss watch exports — Hong Kong and the U.S. — were almost exclusively responsible for the global downturn, the Federation […]
Nestle sees continued sales slowdown
Brought to you by Investec Switzerland. Nestle SA forecasts 2016 sales below analyst estimates, increasing pressure on Chief Executive Officer Paul Bulcke to find new areas of growth as he enters the home stretch of his tenure. Revenue growth will be similar to last year’s 4.2 percent on an organic basis, itself the slowest pace […]
Government plan to cut Swiss farm aid causes friction in Bern
Some political parties say Switzerland needs to save, but not at the expense of farmers, reports 20 Minutes. Parties upset by planned cuts include the Swiss People’s Party (UDC/SVP), the PDC/CVP and PBD/BDP. The Swiss People’s Party in particular, has a long history of defending farmers’ interests. Some in French-speaking Switzerland still refer to it as the “parti agrarien”. […]
