Swiss National Bank maintains expansionary monetary policy, raises negative interest exemption threshold, and is examining additional steps. Coronavirus is posing exceptionally large challenges for Switzerland, both socially and economically. Uncertainty has risen considerably worldwide, and the outlook both for the global economy and for Switzerland has worsened markedly.

The 2019 Annual Report of the Swiss National Bank is published on the SNB website

The Swiss National Bank is honouring Carmen Reinhart with this year’s Karl Brunner Distinguished Lecture Series. Carmen Reinhart is an influential economist who has made outstanding contributions to macroeconomics. She has been Professor of the International Financial System at Harvard Kennedy School since 2012, and also currently serves on the Economic Advisory Panel of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

The Bank of Canada, the Bank of England, the Bank of Japan, the European Central Bank, the Sveriges Riksbank and the Swiss National Bank, together with the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), have created a group to share experiences as they assess the potential cases for central bank digital currency (CBDC) in their home jurisdictions.

The Swiss National Bank is keeping the SNB policy rate and interest on sight deposits at the SNB at −0.75%. It remains willing to intervene in the foreign exchange market as necessary, while taking the overall currency situation into consideration. The expansionary monetary policy continues to be necessary given the inflation outlook in Switzerland.

Changes due to entry into force of FinSA/FinIA andadjustments to minimum reserve requirements. The Swiss National Bank is amending the National Bank Ordinance (NBO). Various terms used in the NBO will be revised in connection with the entry into force of the Financial Services Act (FinSA) and the Financial Institutions Act (FinIA) as of 1 January 2020.

The financial assets of households were influenced by two factors in 2018: First, falling share prices led to high capital losses and, second, households grew their financial wealth through transactions. They increased their insurance and pension scheme entitlements, expanded their bank deposits and invested in securities. Overall, household financial assets fell slightly by CHF 14 billion to CHF 2,586 billion (down 0.6%) – the first decline in ten years

The Swiss National Bank reports a profit of CHF 51.5 billion for the first three quarters of 2019. The profit on foreign currency positions amounted to CHF 42.7 billion. A valuation gain of CHF 7.3 billion was recorded on gold holdings. The profit on Swiss franc positions was CHF 1.7 billion.

Today, the Swiss National Bank is opening the SNB Forum on the ground floor of its premises at Fraumünsterstrasse 8 in Zurich. This has been created as part of the mult i-yearrenovation of this building, and is open to the public.

The Swiss National Bank (SNB) and the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) have today signed an Operational Agreement on the BIS Innovation Hub Centre in Switzerland. The Hub will identify and develop in-depth insights into critical trends in technology affecting central banking, develop public goods in the technology space geared towards improving the functioning of the global financial system, and serve as a focal point for a network of central bank experts on innovation.

The Swiss National Bank has today published a focus article on its data portal entitled ‘Switzerland’s international investment position – breakdown of changes in stocks’ (data.snb.ch, Resources, International economic affairs, Focus articles).

Download PDF

SNB banknote app with information on all new denominations. Issuance of the new 100-franc note presented a week ago begins today, 12 September. The complete version of the Swiss National Bank’s ‘Swiss Banknotes’ app is now also available. It has been updated to include the 100-franc note and features information on all six new denominations.

The Swiss National Bank (SNB) will begin releasing the new 100-franc note on 12 September 2019, bringing the issuance of the ninth banknote series to a close. The first denomination in the new series, the 50-franc note, entered circulation on 13 April 2016. This was followed by the 20, 10, 200 and 1000-franc notes, which were released at six or twelve-month intervals.

The Swiss National Bank has today published its report Banks in Switzerland 2018 and the corresponding data for its annual banking statistics. The most significant events are summarised below.

The Swiss National Bank is maintaining its expansionary monetary policy, thereby stabilising price developments and supporting economic activity. Interest on sight deposits at the SNB is unchanged at –0.75%. The SNB will remain active in the foreign exchange market as necessary, while taking the overall currency situation into consideration.

New Focus Article series published on data portal. The Swiss National Bank is expanding its offering in the field of statist ics. It is to start publishing articles on selected statistical subjects at irregular intervals. These articles will appear on the SNB data portal (data.snb.ch, Resources, International economic affairs, Focus articles) as so-called focus articles.

Claudia Aebersold Szalay will assume the role of Head of Media Relations at the Swiss National Bank on 1 June, replacing Walter Meier who will be leaving the bank having reached retirement age. Ms Aebersold Szalay was previously an economics and business editor at the NZZ newspaper for eleven years.

The Swiss National Bank is maintaining its expansionary monetary policy, thereby stabilising price developments and supporting economic activity. Interest on sight deposits at the SNB remains at –0.75% and the target range for the three-month Libor is unchanged at between –1.25% and –0.25%. The SNB will remain active in the foreign exchange market as necessary, while taking the overall currency situation into consideration.

The 2018 Annual Report of the Swiss National Bank is published on the SNB website (www.snb.ch).

Issuance of the new 1000-franc note presented a week ago begins today, 13 March. The Swiss National Bank’s ‘Swiss Banknotes’ app has now been updated to include the new note. The app, which has been downloaded some 110,000 times, can be obtained free of charge from the Apple (itunes.apple.com) and Google Play (play.google.com) app stores.

The Swiss National Bank (SNB) will begin issuing the new 1000-franc note on 13 March 2019. Following the 50, 20, 10 and 200-franc notes, this is the fifth of six denominations in the new banknote series to be released. The current eighth-series banknotes remain legal tender until further notice.

The Swiss National Bank (SNB) has named Raghuram Rajan as this year’s speaker for its Karl Brunner Distinguished Lecture Series. Professor Rajan has made outstanding contributions to both economic practice and economic research on the global stage. His roles have included Governor of the Reserve Bank of India from 2013 until 2016 and Chief Economist at the IMF between 2003 and 2006.

With effect from 1 October 2018, Gregor Bäurle will assume the function of Swiss National Bank (SNB) delegate for regional economic relations for the Central Switzerland region. He succeeds Walter Näf, who is taking on a new position, representing the SNB in the Swiss delegation to the OECD in Paris as of 1 January 2019.

The Swiss National Bank (SNB) is maintaining its expansionary monetary policy, thereby stabilising price developments and supporting economic activity. Interest on sight deposits at the SNB remains at –0.75% and the target range for the three-month Libor is unchanged at between –1.25% and –0.25%. The SNB will remain active in the foreign exchange market as necessary, while taking the overall currency situation into consideration.

The Swiss National Bank’s ‘Swiss Banknotes’ app is designed to help the public familiarise themselves with the new banknotes. The popular app, which has been downloaded some 100,000 times, now also showcases the new 200-franc note. It can be downloaded free of charge from the Apple (itunes.apple.com) and Google Play (play.google.com) app stores.

Fourth banknote in latest series showcases Switzerland’s scientific expertise. The Swiss National Bank (SNB) will begin issuing the new 200-franc note on 22 August 2018. Following the 50, 20 and 10-franc notes, this is the fourth of six denominations in the new banknote series to be released. The current eighth-series banknotes will remain legal tender until further notice.

At its meeting of 4 July 2018, the Federal Council appointed Martin Schlegel as the new Alternate Member of the Governing Board of the Swiss National Bank (SNB), following the proposal of the SNB’s Bank Council. He will take up the position of Deputy Head of Department I as of 1 September.

Summary of the 2017 banking year. Of the 253 banks in Switzerland, 229 recorded a profit in 2017, posting a total profit of CHF 10.3 billion. The remaining 24 institutions recorded an aggregate loss of CHF 0.5 billion. The result of the period for all banks was CHF 9.8 billion. The aggregate balance sheet total rose by 4.8% to CHF 3,249.4 billion.

The Swiss National Bank (SNB) has signed a Statement of Commitment to the FX Global Code (“Code”), thereby demonstrating that its internal processes are consistent with the principles of the Code. It also expects its regular counterparties to adhere to the Code and comply with the agreed rules of conduct.

The Swiss National Bank (SNB) has acknowledged the outcome of the popular vote on the sovereign money initiative. The SNB has a constitutional and statutory mandate to pursue a monetary policy serving the interests of the country as a whole. It is charged with ensuring price stability while taking due account of economic developments.

In the autumn of 2017, the Swiss National Bank (SNB) conducted a survey on payment methods for the first time. The aim of the survey is to obtain representative information on payment behaviour and the use of cash by house holds in Switzerland, and to ascertain the underlying motives for this behaviour.

The Swiss National Bank (SNB) is maintaining its expansionary monetary policy, with the aim of stabilising price developments and supporting economic activity. Interest on sight deposits at the SNB is to remain at –0.75% and the target range for the three-month Libor is unchanged at between –1.25% and –0.25%. The SNB will remain active in the foreign exchange market as necessary, while taking the overall currency situation into consideration.

The Swiss National Bank (SNB) and the Bank of Korea (BOK) will enter into a bilateral swap agreement. The agreement will be signed on 20 February 2018 in Zurich by the Chairman of the SNB Governing Board, Thomas Jordan, and the Governor of the BOK, Juyeol Lee. The swap agreement enables Korean won and Swiss francs to be purchased and repurchased between the two central banks, up to a limit of KRW 11.2 trillion, or CHF 10 billion.

According to provisional calculations, the Swiss National Bank (SNB) will report a profit in the order of CHF 54 billion for the 2017 financial year. The profit on foreign currency positions amounted to CHF 49 billion. A valuation gain of CHF 3 billion was recorded on gold holdings. The net result on Swiss franc positions amounted to CHF 2 billion.

Yesterday, the Swiss National Bank (SNB) acquired 90% of the shares in Landqart AG. The remaining 10% of the share capital will be purchased by Orell Füssli Holding Ltd. The vendor is a subsidiary of Fortress Paper Ltd, which is listed on the Toronto stock exchange.

In 2016, companies domiciled in Switzerland invested CHF 71 billion abroad. Swiss direct investment abroad thus fell short of the CHF 90 billion recorded in 2015, due primarily to lower investment activity by finance and holding companies. All other industry categories combined actually exceeded the level of the previous year with investment abroad of CHF 62 billion (2015: CHF 46 billion). Of this total, CHF 29 billion was accounted for by manufacturing and CHF 33 billion by services.

The Swiss National Bank (SNB) is maintaining its expansionary monetary policy, with the aim of stabilising price developments and supporting economic activity. Interest on sight deposits at the SNB is to remain at –0.75% and the target range for the three-month Libor is unchanged at between –1.25% and –0.25%. The SNB will remain active in the foreign exchange market as necessary, while taking the overall currency situation into consideration.

Financial assets and liabilities of the institutional sectors The financial accounts form part of Switzerland’s system of national accounts. They show the financial assets and liabilities of the economy’s institutional sectors, which are non-financial and financial corporations, general government and households. The major developments in the financial accounts are outlined below.

The Swiss National Bank (SNB) is releasing an updated version of ‘Swiss Banknotes’, an app for mobile devices designed to help the public familiarise themselves with the new banknotes.The popular app, which has been downloaded over 70,000 times, now also showcases the new 10-franc note. It can be downloaded free of charge from the Apple (itunes.apple.com) and Google Play (play.google.com) app stores.

The Swiss National Bank (SNB) will begin issuing the new 10-franc note on 18 October 2017. Following the 50-franc and 20-franc notes, it is the third of six denominations in the new banknote series to be released. The current eighth-series banknotes will remain legal tender until further notice.

The Swiss National Bank (SNB) is this year conducting a survey on payment methods for the first time. Over the coming months, 2,000 people resident in Switzerland will be asked about their habits regarding the use of payment methods. The aim of the survey is to obtain representative information on the Swiss population’s use of various payment methods and to identify any changes in this respect.

Summary of the 2016 banking year. In 2016, 226 of the 261 banks in Switzerland reported a profit, taking total profit to CHF 11.8 billion. The remaining 35 institutions recorded an aggregate loss of CHF 3.9 billion. The result of the period for all banks was thus CHF 7.9 billion.

The Swiss National Bank (SNB) is maintaining its expansionary monetary policy, with the aim of stabilising price developments and supporting economic activity. Interest on sight deposits at the SNB is to remain at –0.75% and the target range for the three-month Libor is unchanged at between –1.25% and –0.25%.

The Swiss National Bank (SNB) is releasing an app for mobile devices, designed to help the public familiarise themselves with the new banknotes. The app – an updated version of the ‘50-franc’ app launched last year to accompany the issue of the new 50-franc note – is now called ‘Swiss Banknotes’ and can be downloaded free of charge from the Apple (itunes.apple.com) and Google Play (play.google.com) app stores.

Second ninth-series note showcases Switzerland’s creativity. The Swiss National Bank (SNB) will begin issuing the new 20-franc note on 17 May 2017. It is the second of six denominations in the new banknote series to be released. The current eighth-series banknotes will remain legal tender until further notice.

Change to a more comprehensive and up-to-date methodology. The Swiss National Bank (SNB) is putting the Swiss franc exchange rate indices it calculates and publishes on a new footing. The adjustment allows the Swiss economy’s competitive and trading relationships to be replicated in a more comprehensive and up-to-date way. The new indices, too, show that the Swiss franc is significantly overvalued.

This year, the Swiss financial accounts, which have been released by the Swiss National Bank since 2005, feature changes affecting both timeliness and presentation.
For the first time, data on the financial accounts are now published within eleven months of the reference date, reducing time to publication by one year. Moreover, the balance sheet of households, previously the subject of the press release on household wealth, is now included in the Swiss Financial Accounts report.

In the third quarter of 2016, the current account surplus amounted to CHF 21 billion. This was CHF 2 billion less than in the year -back quarter. As a result of lower receipts from direct investment, the receipts surplus in primary income (labour and investment income) declined by CHF 4 billion to CHF 1 billion. The surplus of receipts from trade in goods increased by CHF 2 billion to CHF 17 billion, while the surplus of receipts for trade in services and the surplus of expenses for secondary income remained at the same level as in the year-back quarter (CHF 5 billion and CHF 2 billion respectively).

Swiss direct investment abroad. Companies domiciled in Switzerland invested CHF 100 billion abroad, compared with disinvestment of CHF 1 billion the year before. Thus, Swiss direct investment abroad was significantly above the average for the past ten years. At CHF 54 billion, over half of the investment was made by finance and holding companies (2014: CHF 3 billion).

The Swiss National Bank (SNB) is maintaining its expansionary monetary policy. Interest on sight deposits at the SNB is to remain at–0.75% and the target range for the three-month Libor is unchanged at between –1.25% and –0.25%. At the same time, the SNB will remain active in the foreign exchange market as necessary, while taking the overall currency situation into consideration.

The Federal Department of Finance (FDF) and the Swiss National Bank (SNB) have signed a new agreement regarding the SNB’s profit distribution for 2016 to 2020. Subject to a positive distribution reserve, the SNB will in future pay CHF 1 billion p.a. to the Confederation and cantons, as was previously the case. In future, however, omitted distributions will be compensated for in subsequent years if the distribution reserve allows this.

In the second quarter of 2016, the current account surplus amounted to CHF 17 billion. This was CHF 3 billion less than in the year-back quarter, mainly due to a decline in the receipts surplus in primary income (labour and investment income).

The SNB inflation forecast showed a strange diversion of conditional inflation forecasts: Draghi expected inflation to rebound to 1.2% next year and 1.6% in 2018.
The SNB, however, predicts 2017 inflation at 0.2% and 2018 at 0.6%. For us, one of the two is wrong.

Despite her incredible money printing and FX purchases, the SNB has many roots in the Austrian School of Economics, a school that maintains that money printing leads to price inflation. One of the major Austrian economists was Carl Menger.

This press release presents the results for a Swiss National Bank (SNB) survey on turnover in foreign exchange and derivatives markets. The request for data was sent to 30 banks that operate in Switzerland and have a sizeable share in the foreign exchange and over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives markets. These banks reported the turnover of their domestic offices.

The Swiss National Bank (SNB) reports a profit of CHF 21.3 billion for the first half of 2016. A valuation gain of CHF 7.6 billion was recorded on gold holdings. The profit on foreign currency positions amounted to CHF 13.0 billion.

The Swiss National Bank (SNB) is publishing the annual Swiss Balance of Payments and International Investment Position report today. This year, the report is being released earlier – in May instead of August, as in previous years. It is based on the dataset for the fourth quarter of 2015, which was released with the press release of 21 March 2016 headed ‘Swiss balance of payments and international investment position, Q4 2015 and review of the year 2015’.

The current account surplus amounted to CHF 10 billion in the first quarter of 2016, CHF3 billion less than in the year-back quarter. The decline was primarily attributable to trade in goods, where the receipts surplus of CHF 8 billion was CHF 2 billion lower than in the first quarter of 2015. The receipts surplus for services remained stable at CHF 5 billion. In the case of primary income (labour and investment income), receipts and expenses were on a par, whereas a receipts surplus of CHF 1 billion had been recorded in the year-back quarter. At CHF3 billion, the expenses surplus for secondary income (current transfers) remained on the same level as the year-back figure.

The Swiss National Bank (SNB) is maintaining its expansionary monetary policy. Interest on sight deposits at the SNB is to remain at –0.75% and the target range for the three-month Libor is unchanged at between –1.25% and –0.25%. At the same time, the SNB will remain active in the foreign exchange market, as neces sary. The negative interest rate and the SNB’s willingness to intervene in the foreign exchange market are intended to make Swiss franc investments less attractive, there by easing pressure on the currency. The Swiss franc is still significantly overvalued.