Switzerland

Swiss Economy… the Easiest Way for Investors

Economic data have indicated that the direction of the Swiss index (SIX) recorded an increase in early February, after it decreased at the end of December and January. Yet, investors tended to buy most of the stocks. SIX closed at a stable change, slightly rising by 0.02%, at levels of 8,272.23 points. Swiss watchmaker Swatch Group SA has seen a rise by 3.66% in the SIX in Zurich. The biggest rise in profit growth that a company, listed on the stock, might record is 20%, to $ 1.93 billion Swiss francs, or $2.31 billion as for last year. In 2013, the economic growth rate in Switzerland reached 1.9% and it is expected to hit 2.3% during the current year, if exports continue to grow. According to statistics, unemployment rate fell to 3.2 %, maintain average stability, which remained constant over the past year at 3.2 till late December, compared to 149.43 thousand unemployed with a rise exceeding 5 % compared to the same period in 2012. The Swiss franc came second after the euro as one of the best performing currencies during 2013. The Swiss bank has maintained the base of the EUR/ CHF at 1.20 for the second year in a row, and the Swiss franc rose by more than 15% against the Australian dollar and the Japanese yen. The performance of the Swiss franc is expected to continue on the same rate this year. The GDP growth rate accelerates by 0.8% in the first quarter of 2012 to reach 1.9 % in the third quarter of 2013, after the Swiss bank set the trading base of EUR / CHF at 1.20 in 2011. The surplus in the trade balance increased to 2.429 million Swiss francs in October 2013, compared to 2.405, recorded last September. As for the exports, they rose to 18.335 million vs. 16.912 million Swiss francs, while imports increased from 14.418 million to 15.097 million francs. South Korea has tackled with Switzerland last January ways of expanding trade and investment and promoting cooperation in the fields of vocational education, science, technology and various global issues. South Korea confirmed in summit talks in the Swiss capital, Bern, ahead of the World Economic Forum “Davos”, the necessity of supporting the financial cooperation between the two states’ companies in a bid to boost the competitive advantage and encourage them to enter the market of a third country