Category Archive: 3) Swiss Markets and News

Main Author Investec
Investec
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.

Trump’s first year, Greenland and tariffs, and NASA’s Moon plans

Welcome to our press review of events in the United States. Every Wednesday I look at how the Swiss media have reported and reacted to three major stories in the US – in politics, finance and science. All eyes were on the Swiss mountain resort of Davos on Wednesday as US President Donald Trump flew … Continue reading...

Read More »

Nestlé competitors also face tainted baby formula pressure

The tainted baby formula crisis has spread from Swiss food producer Nestlé to French rival Danone and dairy group Lactalis. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox Lactalis has withdrawn six batches of Picot-brand baby formula from the transalpine market after the presence of cereulide was detected in an ingredient from …

Read More »

Delayed Trump touches down in Switzerland for WEF

United States President Donald Trump landed at Zurich airport at 12.36pm for his highly publicised appearance at the World Economic Forum (WEF). + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox Trump was taken by helicopter to Davos where he will give a speech at the WEF in the afternoon. There, he and … Continue...

Read More »

AI ‘could add CHF85 billion to Swiss economy’

Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to significantly increase Switzerland's economic output, according to a study presented at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos.

Read More »

Life has become more expensive in Switzerland – despite low inflation

Inflation is forecast to be just 0.2% in 2025. And yet many people feel the pinch: prices in Switzerland are around 7% higher than five years ago, putting pressure on household budgets. Higher prices: According to the consumer price index, the overall price level has risen by 7% over the past five years. The index …

Read More »

WEF: Switzerland treads carefully with Trump as tariff deal looms

The Swiss government is expected to avoid sharp criticism of Donald Trump’s Greenland plans at the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos as it seeks to finalise a 15% tariff deal with the United States. Meetings at the WEF annual meeting in Davos are sometimes very short, but high-profile. Swiss President Guy Parmelin …

Read More »

Novartis CEO: ‘Europe lags behind’ on innovation

Novartis CEO Vasant Narasimhan told Bloomberg in an interview that he sees clear differences between Europe and the US in the Swiss pharmaceutical giant's investment strategy. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The investment environment outside Europe is currently "much more favourable", Narasimhan said in the interview with Bloomberg on …

Read More »

Trump’s tariff threats are ‘a mistake,’ says von der Leyen at WEF

The additional tariffs proposed by US President Trump are a mistake, declared European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the opening of the World Economic Forum (WEF). She was reacting to the US President's threats if Greenland was not ceded to him. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox "We …

Read More »

Swiss President seeks to renew trade agreement with China

Swiss President Guy Parmelin met with Chinese Vice Prime Minister He Lifeng in Davos on Tuesday to explore ways to expand bilateral relations. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The exchange was important, Parmelin wrote on the X platform after the exchange.

Read More »

Survey: Swiss CEOs optimistic about 2026 after US trade deal

US tariff policy and fears of a trade war led many Swiss companies to hold back on investments last year. Nevertheless, most company bosses are optimistic about the new year. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox According to the latest edition of the CEO survey conducted by the consulting firm …

Read More »

Swiss housing prices surged in 2025

Residential property prices in Switzerland rose significantly last year, especially for single-family homes. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox Across Switzerland, prices for single-family homes rose by an average of 6.5% and for condominiums by 5.9% in 2025, as mortgage broker Moneypark and Zurich-based startup Pricehubble, which specialises in real …

Read More »

Anti-WEF demo in Zurich turns violent

An anti-WEF demonstration on Monday evening turned violent, resulting in property damage and clashes with police. Several thousand people took part in the rally at the start of the World Economic Forum, as reported by the Zurich city police. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The demonstration with the slogan …

Read More »

US Treasury Secretary: US-Swiss relations are ‘back on track’

Relations with Switzerland are back on track after a rough period, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent declared on Monday on his arrival in Davos for the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox "After a turbulent period in recent months, relations between Switzerland and the …

Read More »

Are pesticides making farmers sick? What we know so far

Switzerland is investigating whether exposure to pesticides increases the risk of Parkinson’s disease among farmers. While Parkinson’s is recognised as an occupational disease for farmers abroad. Switzerland, however, lacks key data to draw firm conclusions. In Germany, farmers who have used pesticides for more than 100 days during their working lives and later develop Parkinson’s …

Read More »

Swiss stock market jolted by Greenland tensions

The Swiss stock market opened lower on Monday, like other European markets, as investors digested the escalation of geopolitical tensions over Greenland and the threat of new US tariffs on eight European nations. Safe haven investments like the Swiss franc benefited against this turbulent backdrop. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your …

Read More »

Swiss food bank saves 8,500 tonnes of food from going to waste

Last year the Schweizer Tafel food bank saved around 8,500 tonnes of food from going to waste and gave it to people in need. This represents an increase of 11% compared to 2024. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox Products from the food industry were a key driver of this … Continue reading »

Read More »

How to speak Davosian – for beginners

Switzerland has four official languages, but regular visitors to Davos have mastered a fifth: a form of English that is rich in possibility, ambition and occasional wisdom. Although this Davos dialect is initially even harder on the ears than Swiss German, it can become second nature, given enough practice and self-delusion. We are pleased to …

Read More »

Swiss-Italian shipping giant MSC invests in Libyan port of Misrata

Libyan authorities have announced a strategic partnership deal worth $3 billion with a Qatari fund and Swiss-Italian shipping giant MSC’s subsidiary to develop Misrata port. An agreement was signed on Sunday. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox According to a press release from Misrata Free Zone Authority (MFZ), the partnership …

Read More »

Greenland emerges as new source of Swiss gold imports

Greenland has been in the headlines after US President Donald Trump threatened to annex the Danish-ruled territory. Less attention has been paid to its gold exports. Switzerland has been strengthening its position as the world’s leading hub for gold trading and refining by opening a new import channel from Greenland. + Get the most important …

Read More »

Swiss to vote on preserving cash as a payment system

On March 8, the Swiss will decide whether the availability of cash should be enshrined in the constitution. A popular initiative and the government’s counterproposal are both on the ballot. An explainer. How do the Swiss use cash currently? According to a recent study by the Swiss National Bank (SNB), Swiss residents are moving away …

Read More »