22 April 2016 – Swiss and global market roundup. Brought to you by Investec Switzerland. The SMI continued its struggling upward trend this week and is expected to finish slightly higher on Friday, in-line with global equity markets. Stocks held on to early gains despite concerns that the European Central Bank (ECB) and People’s Bank of China […]
Solar impulse back in the air and bound for the US
Born in Switzerland and now heading from Hawaii to California, Solar Impulse 2 took off early this morning from Kalaeloa in Hawaii, as it continues its round-the-world flight. In silence, the 100% solar-powered aircraft took off across the Pacific at 6:15am Hawaii time (UTC-10) bound for California. The plane belonging to Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg, […]
Roche sees its first cancer immunotherapy winning U.S. nod soon
Brought to you by Investec Switzerland. Roche Holding AG said its most advanced experimental drug to harness the immune system in the fight against cancer may win U.S. regulatory approval this year, becoming the first such treatment to help the roughly 430,000 people diagnosed annually with bladder cancer. The medicine, called atezolizumab, may generate around $3 […]
SNB could increase scope of negative interest rates
Brought to you by Investec Switzerland. The Swiss National Bank could reduce the amount of leeway it grants banks on its negative deposit rate in a bid to prevent an already “significantly overvalued” franc from strengthening, President Thomas Jordan said. Still, reducing the threshold — currently 20 times an institution’s minimum reserves — isn’t an imminent […]
Rising tiger numbers are nothing to cheer about
When the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Global Tiger Forum (GTF) roared the news last week that “for the first time in 100 years, tiger numbers are growing”, the media, including the New York Times, splashed the headline around the world. Few journalists checked out the headline or the facts. After all, WWF said so. Yet, as science writer […]
Family involved in school handshake refusal applies for Swiss nationality
The Basler Zeitung, has learned that the family of the two brothers who refused to shake the hand of their female teacher at Therwil secondary school, in the canton of Basel-Landschaft, has applied for Swiss nationality. The brothers, 14 and 15, requested exemption from handshakes for religious reasons and the school’s administration granted it, according […]
Swiss buy more and more meat across the border
Swiss are buying increasing amounts of meat in neighbouring countries according to Switzerland’s professional meat union (UPSV). Over the border After three years of rising, Switzerland’s appetite for meat appears to have declined by around 1% in 2015, or 2% on a per capita basis, to an annual average of 51.4 kg per person. These numbers […]
Handsome reward paid to man who found wallet full of cash
Last Thursday in Lucerne, Switzerland, a man lost a wallet with 7,070 francs in it according to 20 Minuten. Fortunately, it was handed in and the owner was tracked down by the lost and found team at Lucerne’s police station, who returned the wallet containing a number of cards and the large sum of cash. The 20 year […]
Italian student brutally murdered in Geneva
Tribune de Genève. A doctoral student at the University of Geneva died after being attacked on the streets of Geneva. The attacker, on the run, is actively sought by the police. The 29 year old Italian researcher died on Monday evening after receiving blows to her head from a metal bar. According to information sourced by […]
Swiss stocks up on luxury, banking and improved global sentiment
15 April 2016 – Swiss and global market roundup. Brought to you by Investec Switzerland. The SMI is set to finish this week more than 2% higher, showing modest outperformance against global equity markets as cyclical companies from banks to luxury goods surged on improving investor sentiment. European shares experienced their longest winning streak since early March […]
