Swiss central bank posts CHF62.5bn profit

SNB generates profit of CHF 62.5 billion in the first three quarters Keystone-SDA

The Swiss National Bank (SNB) has generated a CHF62.5 billion profit in the first nine months of this year.

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Following a profit of CHF56.8 billion in the first half of the year, this resulted in a plus of CHF5.7 billion francs in the third quarter.

While the SNB achieved a plus of CHF52.4 billion on its foreign currency positions in the first three quarters, there was a valuation gain of CHF16.6 billion on its gold holdings, which remained unchanged in terms of volume. In contrast, the Swiss franc positions recorded a loss of CHF6.2 billion.

+ Read more: should the SNB give more cash back to the state?

Distributions not impossible

According to the latest profit figures, a distribution to the Confederation and cantons cannot be ruled out. According to UBS economists, the SNB would have to generate a profit of at least CHF65 billion for a minimum distribution in 2024 as a whole – i.e. slightly more than the current result after nine months.

However, a lot can still happen in the fourth quarter. As usual, the SNB also emphasises that its result is largely dependent on the performance of the gold, foreign exchange and capital markets. Strong fluctuations are therefore the rule and conclusions from the interim result to the annual result for 2024 are only possible to a limited extent.

Last year, for example, the SNB also posted a high profit in the first quarter (CHF26.9 billion), but then had to report a loss of CHF3.2 billion at the end of the year.

Translated from German by DeepL/mga

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