Category Archive: 3) Swiss Markets and News

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Investec is a distinctive Specialist Bank and Asset Manager. We provide a diverse range of financial products and services to a niche client base in three principal markets, the United Kingdom, South Africa and Australia, as well as certain other geographies. Investec’s strategic goals are motivated by the desire to develop an efficient and integrated business on an international scale through the active pursuit of clearly established core competencies in the group’s principal business areas.
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Banks risk becoming new fossil fuel villains in 2022

2022-01-11

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2022-01-11

As businesses were gearing up for the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow last year, one of Europe’s larger banks released an update on how it planned to do its bit to combat global warming.

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Swiss central bank forecasts CHF26bn annual profit

2022-01-11

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2022-01-11

The Swiss National Bank (SNB) expects to post a profit of CHF26 billion ($28 billion) for 2021, a windfall made exclusively from its growing foreign currency holdings.

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No weakening expected in Swiss house prices

2022-01-10

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2022-01-10

The Swiss housing market continues to rise with no signs of weakening, reported RTS this week. According to the real estate platform immoscout24, the average price per m2 for a family home in Switzerland has risen from CHF 6,700 to CHF 7,200 over the last 12 months, a rise of 7%. Apartment prices have risen even further in some places.

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Switzerland writes off small portion of flight repatriation bill

2022-01-09

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2022-01-09

The majority of stranded Swiss people repatriated during the first pandemic wave have paid back their share of flight bills. But the foreign ministry has been forced to write off CHF210,000 ($230,000) and is still haggling over another CHF360,000.

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Zurich court rules Uber drivers are not ‘independent workers’

2022-01-08

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2022-01-08

The latest cantonal ruling on the US ride-hailing firm comes as a national framework to determine the status of gig economy workers in Switzerland is still lacking.

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Shared e-bikes and e-scooters ‘do climate more harm than good’

2022-01-07

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2022-01-07

Shared e-scooters and e-bikes can have a negative effect on the climate, a Swiss study has found. This is because such services generally replace trips with normal bicycles, rather than cars.

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Pandemic pushes Swiss house prices higher

2022-01-06

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2022-01-06

The value of residential property in Switzerland continued to rise strongly in 2021 in the wake of Covid-19. Property prices are likely to rise further this year, according to an analysis.

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Annual consumer price inflation hits 0.6 percent

2022-01-05

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2022-01-05

Consumer prices in Switzerland increased by 0.6% on average last year, according to the Federal Statistics Office. and +0.4% respectively.The consumer price index fell by 0.1% in December

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Zurich Airport faces another loss for 2021

2022-01-04

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2022-01-04

The Covid pandemic has hit Zurich Airport, one of the biggest employers in the region, hard. But CEO Stephan Widrig says there are sufficient financial resources to get through the crisis, including the Omicron variant.

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Watchmaking workforce remains stable despite pandemic

2021-12-28

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2021-12-28

The annual census of the Swiss watch industry labour force found that partial unemployment helped the industry weather the pandemic over the last year. The number of employees in the industry remained stable in 2021 while the share of high skilled staff increased.

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Swiss ski manufacturer facing global supply chain disruption

2021-12-28

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The pandemic disrupted global supply chains, causing delayed deliveries for raw materials and crucial components. Those affected had to scramble to keep their production chain going. We visited Swiss ski manufacturer Stöckli in Lucerne to see how they adapted to the new situation. --- swissinfo.ch is the international branch of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC). Its role is to report on Switzerland and to provide a Swiss perspective on...

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In global supply chain crisis, even Swiss skis are counting the cost

2021-12-27

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2021-12-27

Shortages of raw materials and logistics bottlenecks have made 2021 a tough year for Swiss manufacturers, and contributed to a downgrade in the government’s GDP growth forecast for the economy next year. 

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Credit Suisse sacks managers over Greensill scandal

2021-12-26

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2021-12-26

The Credit Suisse bank has fired the managers overseeing a multi-billion-dollar fund strategy linked to the now-defunct Greensill Capital.

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Switzerland set to tax e-cigarettes

2021-12-25

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2021-12-25

On 17 December 2021, Switzerland’s Federal Council put forward a plan to tax the liquids used for e-cigarettes, reported RTS. The Federal Council is proposing a tax similar to the tax on tobacco but at a lower rate in line with e-cigarettes’ lower toxicity. The government does not want to discourage tobacco smokers from transitioning to e-cigarettes and proposes a rate 77% lower than the tax on tobacco cigarettes.

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How a secretive central bankers’ club responds to crises

2021-12-24

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2021-12-24

Every other month, the world’s most influential central bank governors gather in Basel to swap notes, reinforce personal ties and untangle the technical details of keeping money flowing around the world.

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US charge extradited Russian businessman with hacking, insider trading

2021-12-23

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2021-12-23

The Russian businessman extradited from Switzerland to the United States and four other Russians have been charged with carrying out a $82-million (CHF75 million) insider trading scheme using data stolen during hacks of US computer networks.

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Omicron forces WEF to postpone flagship event again

2021-12-22

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2021-12-22

The Covid-19 pandemic has severely disrupted plans to hold the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) main annual meeting in Davos for a second year in a row.

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The James Webb Space Telescope prepares to launch

2021-12-21

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The James Webb Space Telescope, the biggest, most powerful space telescope in history, is set to launch into space this Christmas. It has been developed by NASA together with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). Swiss scientists have been closely involved in the project and some Swiss technology is on board. The orbiting infrared observatory is the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope. With a much bigger primary...

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UBS bank appeals French tax evasion fine a second time

2021-12-21

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2021-12-21

Switzerland’s largest bank, UBS, says it will once again appeal a fine handed out by a French court for tax evasion offences.

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Credit Suisse hires former AMP chief to lead wealth management

2021-12-19

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2021-12-19

Credit Suisse has hired the former chief executive of Australian finance group AMP to run its revamped wealth management division, as the Swiss lender tries to win market share from its domestic rival UBS.

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