8 July 2016 – Swiss and global market roundup. Brought to you by Investec Switzerland. The SMI is set to post moderate losses this week as the post-Brexit relief rally faded and commodities slipped. Swiss stocks outperformed key European markets as investor’s fled to quality stocks such as Nestlé, Novartis and Roche. After Swiss companies trailed their […]
Switzerland reduces CO2 emissions by 3 million tonnes
20 Minutes. Government subsidies of around CHF 260 million cut Swiss emissions by a CO2 equivalent of more than three million tonnes in 2015. The Swiss government’s “Building Programme” has two parts to it. The first subsidises improvements to building insulation. In 2015, subsidies of CHF 179 million encouraged improvements to the insulation of 3.6 […]
More than 300,000 Swiss Rail fines unpaid
Le Matin. Of the 460,000 passengers caught travelling on Swiss Rail without tickets in 2015, 80% received a fine. However despite reminders, only one in three paid up, leaving 300,000 outstanding fines for the year. This represents a loss of several tens of millions of francs for the operator. Swiss Rail spokesperson Stephan Wehrle, confirmed […]
Some question price of Swiss stocks as safe haven status awakened
Brought to you by Investec Switzerland. Swiss stocks, dislodged in 2015 as a haven from European volatility, have seen the status restored following Brexit — so much that some investors are balking at valuations. After trailing shares from Germany to France and Italy for most the past year, the Swiss Market Index is finding a […]
Could peak travel surcharges become reality in Switzerland?
20 Minutes. Bern would like to discourage travel at peak times. One option under consideration is charging extra for travel at peak times. According to official figures, there were around 4.3 million commuters in Switzerland in 2014, a little over half the population. Many travelling at peak times suffer from crowded trains or traffic jams. In […]
The new Swiss trains with WiFi
At some point between now and 2019, travellers on some Swiss trains will be able to connect to WiFi. The WiFi equipment will be installed in trains used for two routes. The new Giruno trains linking Zurich, and nearby cities, to Italy via the new Gotthard tunnel, and the former Cisalpino trains linking Geneva to Italy […]
Swiss hand out first fine for wearing a burqa
On 1 July 2016, a law in the Swiss canton of Ticino, which bans anyone from hiding their face in public, came into effect. According to 20 Minutes, the first person to be punished under the new law was Nora Illi, a representative of the Islamic Central Council of Switzerland (ICCS). Last Friday, when the new […]
Stocks up on Brexit bargain hunting
1 July 2016 – Swiss and global market roundup. Brought to you by Investec Switzerland. Global equity markets are set to post gains this week as investors digest the impact of the UK’s historic vote to leave the European Union. Swiss stocks outperformed global markets as defensive heavyweights Nestlé, Roche and Novartis led gains. Volatility remained […]
Photos of the inside of a new Swiss prison
After investing CHF 21.8 million on transformation and renovation work, a prison in La Chaux-de-Fonds in the Swiss canton of Neuchatel, now has 102 new prison cells. On 18 March 2008, the canton’s leaders voted unanimously to invest in the project to transform existing buildings, some as old as 130 years, into a new prison facility. […]
Driverless buses let loose on the streets of Swiss Alpine town
The “SmartShuttle” is Switzerland’s first driverless bus. It’s running on an experimental basis through the narrow streets of the old town of Sion, the capital of The Valais. I took a ride on Wednesday. The bus has the same appeal as the old Volkswagen Beetle: ugly as hell but so practical. PostAuto’s yellow and white […]
