Tag Archives: 3.) Swissinfo Business and Economy

Another factor for the slowdown is foreign trade, which according to the forecast will weaken significantly next year. © Keystone / Gaetan Bally The KOF economic institute has joined other forecasting agencies to lower its predictions for the Swiss economy. However, the experts do not expect a recession for the time being. The Swiss Institute for Business Cycle Research at the Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich is now forecasting growth in gross domestic...

Despite a negative outlook overall, most CFOs believe that their companies will experience growth in the near future © Keystone / Gaetan Bally Chief financial officers (CFOs) are more pessimistic about the economic outlook for Switzerland than they were six months ago, according to a survey conducted by Deloitte for the second half of 2022. However, a majority of the 127 managers surveyed believe that their companies will experience growth in the near future. “The...

Agricultural income in Switzerland grew slightly in 2021 to reach an average of CHF80,700 ($81,765) per farm, according to latest statistics. The 1.9% average rise in 2021 came despite a “mixed year” for farmers and farming in Switzerland, said the federal centre of agricultural research Agroscope on Tuesday. While the price of beef and milk rose that year, the situation for pork was more complicated due to oversupply, the research centre said. The weather was also...

The energy crisis is causing electricity prices to soar across Europe, including in Switzerland. But the impact on the country is very unequal because of specific characteristics of its market. The sharp rise in electricity prices has delivered a heavy blow to the European market, which has been fully liberalised since 2007. States are being forced to delve deep into their coffers to support households and businesses. Voices questioning the wisdom of fully opening...

Senior Credit Suisse executives spent the weekend reassuring large clients, counterparties and investors about the Swiss bank’s liquidity and capital position in response to concerns raised about its financial strength. Executives hit the phones after spreads on the bank’s credit default swaps, which offer protection against a company defaulting, rose sharply on Friday, indicating investor worries over its financial health. “The teams are actively engaging with...

Electricity consumption in Switzerland remained at normal levels last month despite a government appeal for households and industry to make savings. On August 31, ministers urged the population to voluntarily reduce consumption ahead of anticipated shortages this winter. Recommended measures included turning heating down and switching off lights. Both the Tages Anzeiger and Neue Zürcher Zeitung showed figures on Saturday that suggests this plea has so far fallen...

The Swiss franc has hit an all-time high against the euro. Even though it trades at an unprecedented CHF0.95 to the euro, the strong franc no longer poses a threat to the Swiss economy. What has changed in the last ten years? More from this author On September 6, 2011, at 10am, the then president of the Swiss National Bank (SNB) Philipp Hildebrand made an important announcement to the media: “With immediate effect, the SNB will no longer tolerate a...

Landlords and tenants are opposing government calls to reduce household heating to 19 degrees Celsius, warning it might spark a flurry of lawsuits. The Swiss Real Estate Association, which represents landlords, warns that turning down the heating in rented accommodation could result in a legal backlash. The 19 degree heating target was a specific measure contained in a voluntary energy saving campaign launched by the government in August. But legal experts point...

Not one hacker managed to penetrate the Swiss Post’s e-voting system during a security test, according to Swiss Post. The system withstood 60,000 attacks. Some 3,400 hackers probed the system to find security gaps, Swiss Post said on Wednesday. No findings of medium, major or critical severity were received. One finding had a severity level of low. Swiss Post said this did not affect any safety-relevant aspects but was fixed. In the so-called intrusion test,...

The biggest two Swiss Banks have each been fined $200 million (CHF199 million) as part of a large-scale US investigation into the failure to preserve electronic communications. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) said in separate statements on Tuesday that they had fined 16 financial firms a combined total of $1.8 billion after staff had discussed deals on their personal devices and apps. Beyond the two...