Archive – Banking & Fintech

Railway revolution

This content was published on Aug 11, 2005 The new winter timetable, which came into force on Sunday, sees faster and more frequent services across an expanded network. Rail passengers will need to study the new timetable closely since 90 per cent of train departure times have changed. Such major modifications have not been made for years. The backbone of rail improvements is…

Faster than flying

This content was published on Aug 11, 2005 When the whole line is finished in 2015, the current journey time from Zurich to Milan will be halved. Switzerland’s involvement in the project is part of its commitment to build two new transalpine rail links: one at the Gotthard, and the other at the Lötschberg in canton Bern. The aim is to ease the…

Reaching for the summits

This content was published on Aug 11, 2005 Canton Valais not only has more 4,000 metre peaks than any other region of the Alps, it also boasts Switzerland’s largest winegrowing region, with 5,200 hectares of vineyards. Two things catch the eye while travelling along the Rhône River that cuts through the heart of the canton: the terraced vineyards claiming the northern slopes and…

Consumers lose confidence

This content was published on Aug 11, 2005 However, the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Seco) said the current decline was relatively modest. A survey published on Thursday showed the quarterly Swiss consumer sentiment index dropped by six points between April and July to -15 points. Seco economists said that the assessment of the economic climate of the past 12 months contributed to…

Should Switzerland be the new Singapore?

This content was published on Aug 10, 2005 The conservative and rural image often promoted by the tourist board masks progressive changes taking place in the country. In recent months, Swiss voters have approved the dismantling of the country’s borders with Europe (Schengen accord) and given gays and lesbians partnership rights. Yet many Europeans do not expect the Swiss to be capable of…

Profit leaps but sales sag at Swisscom

This content was published on Aug 10, 2005 But due to increased competition, sales at the Bern-based group were down by 1.7 per cent compared with the same period last year to SFr4.9 billion. Although lower, the sales figures were slightly above market expectations. The company explained on Wednesday that net income had risen due to lower depreciation and a higher net financial…

Big banks set to make record profits

This content was published on Aug 9, 2005 Second-half figures from UBS on Tuesday and last week’s interim report from Credit Suisse have shown that the banks are solid as rocks and can look forward to the future with confidence. If there is a potential Achilles heel it has to be at Credit Suisse, which when announcing its half-year figures said it had…

UBS turns in another solid performance

This content was published on Aug 9, 2005 And the group’s outlook for the remainder of the year is upbeat. The bank’s second-quarter profit of SFr2.15 billion was slightly below market expectations but was five per cent higher than for the comparable period last year. UBS said in a statement on Tuesday that its results showed continued strength across the firm, led by…

Mobile-phone tariffs set to remain high

This content was published on Aug 9, 2005 The three Swiss mobile-phone operators – Swisscom, Orange and Sunrise – have captured the market and are reluctant to allow anyone else a foothold. These three firms were awarded their concessions by the Federal Communications Office and can’t be compelled to allow other providers access to the existing infrastructure. Britain and other European countries have…

“Last chance” for US free-trade deal

This content was published on Aug 8, 2005 The two countries start exploratory discussions this autumn, but the thorny issue of agricultural subsidies must be overcome by the cut-off date for signing the deal in June 2007. Martin Naville, head of the Swiss-American Chamber of Commerce, fears that Switzerland may lose out to the European Union if it fails to take advantage of…

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Archive – Banking & Fintech

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Archive – Banking & Fintech

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Railway revolution

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Faster than flying

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Reaching for the summits

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Consumers lose confidence

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Should Switzerland be the new Singapore?

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Profit leaps but sales sag at Swisscom

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Big banks set to make record profits

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UBS turns in another solid performance

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Mobile-phone tariffs set to remain high

More

“Last chance” for US free-trade deal

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