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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Swiss home electronics market resumes growth

2026-02-12

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2026-02-12

Sales in the Swiss home electronics sector rose slightly in 2025 following two years of decline. Market researchers expect the recovery to continue throughout 2026. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox Swiss home electronics retailers generated sales of CHF5.3 billion in 2025, which corresponds to a year-on-year increase of 1.6%. …

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Italian court quashes Swiss industrialist asbestos jail term

2026-02-12

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2026-02-12

A nine-year Italian prison sentence handed out to Swiss industrialist Stephan Schmidheiney, relating to asbestos deaths, has been quashed because the 2025 verdict was not translated into German. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The former executive at Swiss company Eternit was handed a nine years and six months jail …

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Swiss voters to decide on initiative to reduce the media licence fee

2026-02-12

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2026-02-12

On March 8, the Swiss will vote on an initiative that wants to almost halve the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC)’s television and radio licence fee for households and exempt companies from paying it. We explain what the vote is about here: Here is all you need to know about the upcoming votes:

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Swisscom profits shrink after Vodafone Italia integration

2026-02-12

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2026-02-12

The biggest acquisition in Swisscom's history is having an impact on the company's results. Profits at the Swiss telecoms firm plummeted due to the costs of integrating the acquired Vodafone Italia. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox Net profit fell by 17.6% to CHF 1.27 billion last year, announced Swisscom. …

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Sustainable soy: When collaborating to protect the Amazon backfires  

2026-02-12

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2026-02-12

Commodity firms working together to source deforestation-free soy in Brazil are being investigated under anti-cartel laws. They also risk losing tax benefits due to pressure from powerful farming lobbies. Businesses selling prostheses, gas water-heaters, electricity meters, cement and even tech giants like Apple and Meta have recently come under fire from Brazil’s competition watchdog, the …

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Bad Bunny, plummeting Bitcoin, and frozen iguanas

2026-02-11

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2026-02-11

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. Until recently, NFL games were probably one of the last events in the US that managed to unite … Continue reading »

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Does cheese really protect against dementia?

2026-02-11

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2026-02-11

A Swedish study suggests that people who regularly eat high-fat cheese may have a slightly lower risk of developing dementia. The findings attracted a lot of attention after a report by The New York Times. But how robust is the research – and should it influence what we eat? The debate began with a large … Continue reading...

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When Swiss food start-ups fail  

2026-02-11

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2026-02-11

Switzerland promotes itself as a global hub for food technology and innovation, but it is not always easy for start-ups to gain a foothold. Swissinfo spoke to four food entrepreneurs who took the plunge. Switzerland has topped the global innovation rankings by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) for the last 15 years. A large …

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Switzerland launches new vocational training in AI

2026-02-10

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2026-02-10

The Swiss government is taking new technologies into account in the development of vocational training. It has approved the new profession of artificial intelligence specialist in response to the growing importance of AI in companies. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox An AI business specialist with a federal diploma is a …

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Survey: public trust in Swiss banks declines

2026-02-10

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2026-02-10

Swiss banks continue to enjoy a solid level of trust among the Swiss population but criticism of the banking centre is growing. The perception of excessive profit-seeking and a lack of sustainability are tarnishing its image, according to a study by the Swiss Bankers Association. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox …

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Swiss companies expect Swiss franc to remain strong

2026-02-10

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2026-02-10

Swiss companies remain pessimistic about the euro. According to a study by UBS, the Swiss franc is expected to appreciate slightly against the euro in 2026. This comes as no surprise, as the euro-franc exchange rate has been falling for years. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The euro/franc pair hit …

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ABB CEO eyes growth opportunities in the US

2026-02-10

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2026-02-10

Zurich-based electrical engineering giant ABB sees the greatest opportunities for growth in the short to medium term in the United States, explains CEO Morten Wierod. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox "That is where the greatest growth has occurred in recent years and this trend continues," says the 54-year-old Norwegian in …

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Stadler signs contract for 35 freight locomotives in Turkey

2026-02-10

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2026-02-10

Stadler Rail has signed a contract with Turkish railway company TCDD Tamaclk for the delivery of 35 diesel-electric locomotives for freight services. They will be manufactured at the Thurgau-based group's plant in Valencia, Spain. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The EURO4001 locomotive "has been specially designed for transporting heavy goods …

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Switzerland backtracks in fight against corruption

2026-02-10

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2026-02-10

Switzerland has lost ground in the fight against corruption in the public sector. In the latest ranking by the organisation Transparency International, it has dropped one place to 6th place. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox In the Corruption Perceptions Index published on Tuesday, Switzerland scored 80 out of 100 points, …

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Swatch faces new US activist challenge, rejects changes

2026-02-09

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2026-02-09

The tug-of-war between Swatch Group and US activist investor Steven Wood has entered a new phase. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The American shareholder, via his company Greenwood Investors, has launched a two-pronged offensive: he has applied for a seat on Swatch's board of directors and submitted seven proposals to …

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Novartis begins construction of new research centre in San Diego, US

2026-02-09

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2026-02-09

The Swiss pharma company Novartis has begun work on a new global biomedical research centre in San Diego, United States. The 43,300 m2 facility will be operational in 2029 and house around 1,000 employees. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The new centre is a key pillar of the pharmaceutical group's …

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Anti‑GMO farming campaign gathers 133,000 signatures in Switzerland

2026-02-09

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2026-02-09

An alliance behind an initiative to protect Swiss food from genetically modified organisms (GMOs) has gathered more than 133,000 signatures, it announced on Monday. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The initiative committee plans to deliver the signatures to the Federal Chancellery in Bern by the 27 February deadline. According to …

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Julius Bär boss wants Swiss register of ‘black sheep’ bankers

2026-02-08

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2026-02-08

Stefan Bollinger, CEO of Zurich-based private bank Julius Bär, has called for a Swiss register of bad bankers. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox "The advantages of registering financial market players are obvious," Bollinger told the NZZ am Sonntag. + Swiss finance shrinks as regulations tighten "This prevents black sheep from …

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Swiss medicine revenues pegged back by price reductions

2026-02-07

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2026-02-07

The Swiss domestic pharmaceutical market recorded a 5% increase in revenues of CHF8.1 billion at factory prices, last year. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox Turnover expansion was held back 2.4% by price reductions enforced by the government, reported trade association Interpharma. + Read our extensive coverage drug prices and insurance …

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Expert: Switzerland is an interesting market for illegal synthetic drugs networks

2026-02-06

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2026-02-06

After a major synthetic‑drug network was dismantled in Europe, Swiss public broadcaster RSI asked an expert whether – and how – Switzerland might be involved in producing or trafficking such drugs. Last month, Europol announced the dismantling of a major synthetic drug network active across several European countries. The operation led to over 100 arrests, …

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