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Tag Archives: Editor’s Choice

Swiss exports exceed level before franc’s shock rise

In the third quarter of 2016, Swiss exports reached CHF 52.5 billion, 8.1% higher than they were for the same period in 2015, according to statisticians in Bern. Industries contributing to the rise were jewellery and precious metals (+21%) and pharmaceuticals (+17%). The industry showing the most negative shift was watchmaking (-8%). © Filmfoto | Dreamstime.com Stronger pharmaceuticals exports were behind 80% of the rise. Exports to North America (+24%) lead the way. Despite a decline in...

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Roche revenue gains as sales of breast cancer drugs soar

Investec Switzerland. Roche Holding AG’s third-quarter revenue rose 4.5 percent as its trio of breast-cancer therapies offset stagnating sales of some of its older drugs. Sales climbed to 12.5 billion Swiss francs ($12.6 billion), the Basel, Switzerland-based company said in a statement on Thursday. That compared with the 12.6 billion-franc average estimate of nine analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. Roche doesn’t report third-quarter earnings. The world’s biggest...

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Swiss economy slowly gains momentum but risks remain

Investec Switzerland. In a report published by SECO, a group of economy experts working for Switzerland’s federal government, says it anticipates an acceleration in economic growth in Switzerland from 0.8% in 2015 to 1.5% in 2016 and 1.9% in 2017. Along side this they expect unemployment to rise from 3.3% in 2015, to an annual average of 3.6% in 2016, before falling again to 3.4% in 2017. However, they also see risks. © Flynt | Dreamstime.com The group mainly pins the...

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Swiss watch exports fall for fourteenth straight month

Investec Switzerland. Swiss watch exports fell in August as demand weakened from Japan to the U.S., extending the industry’s slump to fourteen months. © Magryt | Dreamstime.com Shipments dropped 8.8 percent to 1.4 billion francs ($1.4 billion), the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry said in a statement Tuesday. The slowdown has spread from Asia to Europe and the U.S. in recent months, leading Cie. Financiere Richemont SA, the maker of Cartier and IWC Schaffhausen...

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Juncker eyes Swiss-specific EU immigration deal despite Brexit

Investec Switzerland. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said he was aiming to solve a two-year-old dispute with Switzerland over immigration in a country-specific manner even in the wake of Brexit. © Mykhaylo Palinchak | Dreamstime.com The Swiss government has been at pains to implement restrictions on European Union newcomers decided upon in a 2014 referendum without annulling an economically important set of treaties with the 28-country bloc. Although...

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Swiss stocks drop on volatility spike

Investec Switzerland. The Swiss Market Index is set to finish the week notably weaker along with global equity markets as fears around global monetary policy hit sentiment ahead of key meetings by the Bank of Japan and US Federal Reserve next week. The SMI did manage to outperform its European peers thanks to its heavy weighting towards more defensive pharmaceuticals and consumer staples sectors. © Microstock77 | Dreamstime.com Global equity markets had a tough start to...

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Swiss central bank keeps rates on hold as Brexit fallout clouds outlook

Investec Switzerland. The Swiss National Bank maintained its ultra-loose negative interest-rate policy and pledged to intervene in currency markets if needed, saying the Brexit vote has clouded its view of the global economy. © Macgyverhh | Dreamstime.com Switzerland’s central bank, which for years has been combating an overvalued currency, left its deposit rate at a record low of minus 0.75 percent, as forecast by all economists in a Bloomberg survey. It vowed to keep...

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Richemont, Hermes slump as gloom deepens for luxury-goods makers

Investec Switzerland. The crisis in the global luxury-goods industry deepened after Hermes International SCA abandoned a long-standing forecast and Richemont predicted a profit plunge that Chairman Johann Rupert deemed unacceptable. Cartier in Hong Kong © Bankoo | Dreamstime.com Richemont, the maker of Cartier jewelry, said first-half operating profit will probably decline about 45 percent and warned it may have to deepen cost cuts. Kelly bag maker Hermes, traditionally...

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Seven years of inaction on SNB rates day won’t end this week

Investec Switzerland. Anyone feeling let down that the European Central Bank didn’t do much last week might just want to skip the Swiss rate decision on Thursday to avoid more disappointment. © Swisshippo | Dreamstime.com While the Swiss National Bank may be infamous for some seismic policy changes in the last few years, those bombshells weren’t dropped at scheduled meetings. In fact, the last time the institution altered interest rates at a decision in its public calendar...

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Swiss stocks fluctuate as central bank decisions dominate the landscape

Investec Switzerland. The Swiss Market Index, along with other European markets, fluctuated this week as central bank decisions dominated the landscape. © Jorg Hackemann | Dreamstime.com Equity markets advanced at the beginning of the week as chances of the Federal Reserve raising US interest rates later this month declined after a surprisingly weak report on the US service-sector earlier this week. The report followed data last week that showed cooling job growth in...

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