Tag Archives: 3) Swiss Markets and News

The Covoid-19 epidemic has an impact on Switzerland’s real estate market.  (Keystone/Ennio Leanza) The Covid-19 crisis could spell an end to the previously rosy situation for Switzerland’s real estate investors. Investors in residential property look back on a successful 2019 both in terms of value increase and of returns. Forecasts for the current year were optimistic until recently, for both property owners and renters. The Swiss National Bank’s negative interest...

High street shops have been closed and some production facilities have been ordered to shut down. (© Keystone / Gaetan Bally) A third of a CHF20 billion ($21 billion) fund offering state guaranteed loans to small and medium sized Swiss companies has been used up just four days after being introduced. The loan facility has already promised CHF6.6 billion in funding of up to CHF500,000 to nearly 32,000 firms – an average of CHF207,000 per company. The speed at which...

Swiss consumers also appear to be rediscovering their love of chocolate. (© Keystone / Gaetan Bally) The value of Swiss chocolate exports topped CHF1 billion ($1.05 billion) for the first time last year, led by increased demand from Canada, the United States, China, the Middle East and Singapore. Domestic consumption of the delicacy also grew slightly following declining demand in previous years. Sales for Swiss chocolate makers rose 2.2% in 2019 to reach almost...

Doing it properly: instructions for wearing a FFP2 face mask. (Keystone / Christian Beutler) After Germany, France has lifted restrictions on the delivery of hygienic face masks to Switzerland. Some two million masks are needed each day, according to the Federal Office for Public Health. The French embassy to Switzerland made the announcementexternal link on Saturday, paving the way for two shipments of FFP2 hygienic masks to go ahead from France to Switzerland....

© blurf | Dreamstime.com This morning, Switzerland’s federal government announced the number of Covid-19 tests conducted so far in Switzerland. South Korea, a nation often cited among those with high test rates, now trails Switzerland on the number per capita tests it has conducted. By 26 March 2020, South Korea had conducted 364,942 tests, a rate of 7,090 test per million, while Switzerland had conducted 91,400 Covid-19 tests, a rate of 10,665 tests per million....

Companies are feeling the effects of dislocated supply chains and invoices not being paid. (Keystone / Alessandro Crinari) Swiss companies are reporting slumping sales, cashflow problems and bottlenecks in the supply of crucial materials as the coronavirus crisis hits the economy. However, a survey also found that three out of four firms are satisfied with a CHF42 billion ($43 billion) state bailout package. The 84 respondents to the Swiss Business Federation...

© Peter Ekvall | Dreamstime.com Naturally, many of us would like to know the fatality rate of Covid-19. But at this stage it is guesswork. Here are some of the problems with two of the most popular fatality rates. The most popular calculation involves dividing the number deaths by the number of cases. Epidemiologists call this a naive case fatality rate (CFR). There are two ways to calculate this rate. The all-in rate The first is to take the number of deaths so far...

© Anyaivanova | Dreamstime.com Coronavirus testing has been rationed in Switzerland, reserving it for high risk more severe cases, although doctors retain discretion to have anyone tested. It is likely those that have been infected and have recovered will have immunity and no longer be able to act as carriers of the disease. However, without an antibody test, all those who didn’t qualify for a test, will have no way of confirming whether or not they have had it. This...

Medical ventilators constructed at the OES medical supply company in Britain, 23 March 2020. The British government has also asked top engineering companies to retool their production to make ventilators. (Keystone / Neil Hall) Around 50 countries have introduced curbs on exports of medical supplies, including ventilators. This poses a major risk for poor countries, a Swiss study has revealed. The past fortnight has seen nations around the world scrambling for...

Switzerland has imposed major restrictions on public life in a bid to contain the coronavirus pandemic.  (Keystone) Switzerland is headed towards a severe recession this year due to the economic fallout of the coronavirus, experts warn. If the pandemic is brought under control, the Swiss economy should rebound strongly in 2021. The BAK Economics Institute, a Basel-based think tank, says the collapse of private spending will trigger a global recession. For...