Swiss company news brought to you by Investec Switzerland. Swiss Re AG, the world’s second-largest reinsurer, posted a 13 percent increase in third quarter profit after allowing for US$250 million in losses from the chemical warehouse explosions in the Chinese city of Tianjin in mid-August. Net income climbed to US$1.4 billion from US$1.2 billion a […]
After a delay Paris pays Swiss cross-border-worker tax
Tribune de Genève. Last Wednesday, Bern received nearly CHF 320 million from Paris. This money relates to taxes paid by French residents working in Switzerland. Every year, France deducts taxes from cross-border workers and forwards an agreed amount to Switzerland. The payment was late and should have been made by 30 June 2015. When Eveline […]
Switzerland’s skills shortage worsens
The recent 2015 talent shortage survey by Manpower found that 41% of employers in Switzerland were having difficulty filling jobs. This is 3% higher than the global average of 38%. Neighbouring countries such and France (29%) and Italy (28%) fared better while Germany on 46% had a worse skills shortage than Switzerland. 41,700 employers across […]
SMI up, Roche up, Watch exports slump, Bank capital increases demanded
23 October 2015 – Weekly Swiss and global market roundup. Brought to you by Investec Switzerland. Swiss financial market news Global stocks rallied after “Super Mario” signaled that additional monetary stimulus is on the table if growth continues to falter. The SMI outperformed global stocks after it received a further lift from hints that Europe […]
The venerable Swiss army knife is reborn
Zurich designed and Jura made the new Swiza Swiss army knife was unveiled in Lausanne yesterday. The product is the brain child of two Jura based entrepreneurs, Peter Hug and Florian Lachat. Peter, the CEO of the Helvetica Brands Group which makes the the knives, has a long track record in the watchmaking and cutlery […]
Big job cuts at the bank Credit Suisse
On 21 October 2015, Credit Suisse announced a new strategy to grow its business and streamline its costs. The CEO Tidjane Thiam, who was brought in from outside the company earlier this year, unveiled the Board’s plan to focus on managing the wealth of well-heeled entrepreneurs in emerging markets such as China, and grow its […]
SMI underperforms, Geneva bank jobs slump, Nestlé forecast cut, Syngenta steady
16 October 2015 – Weekly Swiss and global market roundup. Brought to you by Investec Switzerland. Swiss financial market news The Swiss Market Index suffered minor losses towards the end of this week, modestly underperforming global stocks as investors moved into more cyclical, US and emerging markets equities. A Federal Reserve report released this week […]
How Switzerland leads Europe on youth employment
In the second quarter of 2015 Swiss youth unemployment (based on the ILO definition) dropped from 7.7% (Q2 2014) to 6.4%. The measure includes those between the ages of 15 and 24 years old and while higher than Switzerland’s overall unemployment rate, Swiss youth fare much better than elsewhere in Europe. The overall EU rate […]
Do you work for a good business or a bad one? Here’s what to look for.
What is good business? What is an ethical company? Some people struggle to answer this question. Others have well defined views and examples of what good business looks like. They can also describe bad businesses they think exploit human weakness or damage the environment. The School of Life, founded by Zurich-born Alain de Botton, a […]
Markets end worst quarter in four years. Glencore woes, VW sales ban, Nestlé in Russia, gloom for Swiss watch makers.
2 October 2015 – Weekly Swiss and global market roundup. Brought to you by Investec Switzerland. Swiss market news Markets end worst quarter in four years Despite equity markets biggest surge in three weeks, global equity markets headed for their worst quarter since 2011 with investors rattled by China’s economic slowdown, uncertainty over Federal Reserve […]
