24 Heures. Young Swiss are taking longer and longer to leave the family home according to a census study by Switzerland’s statistics office. During the 1970s and 1980s, the average age for making a break was between 20 and 21, now it’s around 24 or 25. One of the key drivers of the shift is […]
Miners, including Swiss-based Glencore, unearth a profit bonanza with rally set to last into 2017
Brought to you by Investec Switzerland. Miners had been digging in one of Australia’s oldest collieries for almost a century until operations wound down a year ago, the victim of plunging global commodity prices. Now owner Glencore Plc is resuming output at the Queensland site, the latest sign of a profit bonanza bringing the world’s […]
Unseasonal high-pressure system keeping snow away from Switzerland
According to Swiss Meteo, an unseasonal high pressure system is currently passing over Switzerland. Not good news for those hoping for snow, the system is likely to affect the weather between now and 1 January 2017. The last three winters have brought strong anticyclones during Christmas. While this weather pattern is unusual compared to the […]
Swiss fact: Switzerland sends no urban waste to landfill
According to the Swiss Federal office for the environment, no Swiss urban waste ends up in landfill. Around 50% is recycled and the rest is used to produce energy. In 2013, Switzerland produced 5.7 tonnes of urban waste, around 700kgs per person. Half of this was recycled, while the other half was incinerated to produce […]
Sentiment appears positive as investors close their books for the year
23 December 2016 – Swiss and global market roundup. Brought to you by Investec Switzerland. Ahead of the Christmas break, trading volumes were thin this week amid a lack of new market catalysts. Swiss and European equities were generally unchanged through the week, tracking global stock markets. Overall, sentiment appears to be positive as investors close […]
Applying to US universities from Switzerland – how to choose between the ACT or SAT
Brought to you by Scientia Education. Most US universities require applicants to take the ACT or SAT, tests designed to assess how prepared you are. While both test reading, writing, math and data analysis skills, they are different. Choosing the right one can make a big difference. US universities look at your IB, A Levels […]
Seven banks fined in Swiss probes of rate-rigging cartels
Brought to you by Investec Switzerland. Switzerland handed out about $100 million in antitrust fines against seven U.S. and European banks for participating in cartels to manipulate widely used financial benchmarks. JPMorgan Chase & Co. was fined 33.9 million francs ($33 million) for operating a cartel with Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc for more […]
Fondue on a parapente – an ordinary day in Switzerland
Cheese lovers love the flavour of fondue and raclette. The smell is less appreciated. Some escape to their basement or balcony to eat it. Manuel Siegrist and Sebastian Schlegel, from St Gallen in Switzerland, took to the sky on a parapente or paraglider to eat theirs. The title of their video is: “Fondue Tandem chli […]
How gifts destroy billions of dollars of value
If you haven’t had a chance to go Christmas shopping don’t despair, gifts destroy value. For example, someone on a diet is unlikely to place much value on a box of chocolates. The difference between what was paid for the chocolates and what the recipient would have paid represents destroyed value. They could have been […]
6 Swiss news items that made international headlines in 2016
Last night, Swiss broadcaster RTS presented the six Swiss news items garnering the greatest international attention in 2016. The first news peak occurred in January with eyes focused on the World Economic Forum in Davos. This was the second most reported Swiss event in world media. Then in February, the Swiss story gaining the year’s greatest […]
