Category Archive: 3) Swiss Markets and News

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Swiss economic sentiment continues to improve according to KOF barometer

2025-12-30

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2025-12-30

Expectations for the Swiss economy improved again in December. Following the slight increase in the previous month, the KOF Economic Barometer is rising again somewhat more strongly and has now risen for the fourth month in a row. Specifically, the economic barometer compiled by the KOF Swiss Economic Institute at the Federal Institute of Technology …

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Survey: Consumers in Switzerland to tighten belts in 2026

2025-12-30

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2025-12-30

The mood among consumers in Switzerland is tense. A survey shows that around a third of the population wants to tighten their belts and save money in the new year. This is particularly the case in French-speaking Switzerland and Ticino. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox According to the Konsum Monitor …

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Asia’s wealthy turn to Switzerland to park assets

2025-12-30

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2025-12-30

Swiss private banks report rising demand from Asian family offices and rich individuals to book assets in Europe. Swiss private banks are expanding their Asia-focused teams onshore in Switzerland, after a sharp rise in referrals and inquiries from the region during the past two years. Bankers said Asian family offices and ultra-wealthy individuals were increasingly …

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What lies ahead for Switzerland: an economic outlook for 2026

2025-12-30

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2025-12-30

Next year the Swiss economy will face downward pressure from weaker domestic demand and ongoing uncertainty related to US import tariffs. The Swiss economy remained stable in 2025 with wage growth and domestic demand offsetting the negative impact of the tariffs imposed on Swiss exports to the United States. Domestic demand is expected to grow …

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Experts predict Swiss franc will stay strong in 2026

2025-12-29

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2025-12-29

The Swiss franc is not weakening, despite the shock of the US tariffs that threatened to hit the Swiss economy. According to experts, the Swiss currency should continue its upward trend of recent years in 2026. What are the arguments in favour of the franc? Experts cite political stability, high current account surpluses, low debt, …

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Junk food on trial in the United States – could it happen in Switzerland?

2025-12-29

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2025-12-29

The city of San Francisco has filed a lawsuit against ten multinational food companies, accusing them of contributing to rising rates of obesity, diabetes and cancer via ultra-processed foods and misleading marketing. Could similar legal action be taken in Switzerland? Two experts assess the possibilities and the limits. San Francisco has brought legal action against …

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More women on the boards of Swiss listed companies

2025-12-29

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2025-12-29

The number of women on the boards of directors (BoDs) of companies listed on the Swiss stock exchange will increase in 2025. This is the result of a data analysis by the economic news agency AWP. After a 2024 characterised by an above-average number of changes in the Boards of Directors of the 212 companies … Continue reading...

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Swiss Post delivered 3% more parcels over Christmas 2025

2025-12-29

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2025-12-29

Swiss Post sorted and delivered 23 million parcels between Black Friday at the end of November and Christmas. That's 3.1% more than the previous year, the Post said in a press release on Monday. The peak of activity was recorded on December 2. On that day, Swiss Post employees processed 1.3 million parcels, a figure …

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Europe races to placate pharma as Trump turns up the pressure 

2025-12-29

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2025-12-29

Tariff deals with the US have bought time but investment momentum is elsewhere. Pharmaceutical companies have long complained Europe spends too little on drugs. It took the arrival of Donald Trump — threatening steep tariffs and accusing European countries of “freeloading” on the US — for the warnings to register. In response to the threats, …

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International Geneva can profit from cost-savings, says UN president

2025-12-28

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2025-12-28

UN austerity measures do not threaten Geneva's position as a hub for international diplomacy, at least according to General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock. "Geneva is a crossroads of multilateral diplomacy and is not in danger as a seat, she said in an interview published on Sunday by the SonntagsBlick. Cities like Geneva, Bonn or Nairobi …

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HUG: ‘We see our strongest growth in foreign markets’

2025-12-27

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2025-12-27

In an exclusive interview, Swiss biscuit manufacturer and baker HUG’s two co-CEOs outline the challenges of expanding internationally, which include navigating Switzerland’s powerful agricultural lobby. HUG, a food company known, among others, for its traditional Zwieback rusks, has been in the hands of the same founding family for around 150 years. This hasn’t stopped the …

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The Geneva cardoon: a vegetable with spine

2025-12-27

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2025-12-27

The Christmas holidays mark the brief moment when Geneva’s spiny-leaved cardoon steps into the spotlight. Beyond its traditional growing area, however, the vegetable remains little known, despite its historical and gastronomic significance. Is there such a thing as a typical Swiss Christmas dish? A hard question, given the diversity of culinary traditions and the fact …

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Swiss-made candles thrive as imports dominate shelves

2025-12-24

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2025-12-24

Once used mainly for lighting, prayer or birthdays, candles have become a lifestyle accessory and symbol. The Swiss public broadcaster RTS met candle-making entrepreneurs in French-speaking Switzerland who are carving out a niche for themselves. With more than 120,000 candles sold last year, the company Hello Candle is growing steadily. It was founded in 2018 …

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Swiss bank secrecy probe dropped against news portal

2025-12-24

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2025-12-24

The Zurich public prosecutor has dropped a probe against online portal Inside Paradeplatz, which was accused of violating banking secrecy. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The prosecutor said that the protection of journalistic sources prevents evidence from being presented in the case in key respects. + How Swiss banking secrecy …

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Lab-grown meat ‘not market ready for five years’: Bell CEO

2025-12-24

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2025-12-24

A phase of strong growth in meat substitute products is over, according to the CEO of Swiss food producer Bell Food Group. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox Sales of Bell's meat substitute range are only growing by 0-1% per year, Marco Tschanz said in an interview with the Neue Zürcher … Continue reading »

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Fewer jobs and more unemployment in the Swiss banking sector

2025-12-23

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2025-12-23

The largest Swiss banks have advertised few jobs, while the number of unemployed people who previously worked in the banking sector is rising sharply. The 10 largest Swiss banks currently have 505 job advertisements on their websites. Compared to the end of November, this represents an additional nine job offers, as a current analysis by …

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Disappointing Black Friday sales leave Swiss retailers in the red

2025-12-23

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2025-12-23

Black Friday has clearly lost its lustre for the Swiss retail trade who lost CHF100 million (about $127 million). Consumers have given retailers the cold shoulder this year. According to a recent study by the Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute (GDI), this year's Black Friday has become a burden for the Swiss retail trade. Disillusionment now prevails …

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The last free Swiss commuter newspaper bids farewell to its print edition

2025-12-23

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2025-12-23

20 Minutes has bid farewell to its print version on Tuesday with a special edition. The commuter newspaper, which was launched in 1999, will only be published digitally in future. The blue newspaper boxes were filled for the last time in German-speaking Switzerland, French-speaking Switzerland and Ticino early on Tuesday morning. As a farewell, there …

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A great year for gold with a favourable 2026 ahead

2025-12-22

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2025-12-22

The year 2025 was a brilliant year for gold. The yellow metal gained more than 60%, steadily updating its records. Monday, for the first time in history, the $4400 (CHF3488) per ounce has been exceeded (i.e. the kilo is at around CHF113,000). And according to experts, the ingredients are all there for 2026 to be … Continue reading »

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Is Switzerland losing its place in the world?

2025-12-22

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2025-12-22

It was a remarkably blunt public warning from the top of Switzerland’s biggest bank. UBS chair Colm Kelleher declared last month that Switzerland was “losing its lustre” and had reached a “crossroads with major challenges”. As evidence, he cited fierce competition in wealth management, US tariffs that have hit pharmaceuticals and other export sectors, and …

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