Investment in Switzerland

Switzerland - Investment
Economy grows at quickest pace on record in Q3
Economic activity soared 7.2% on a seasonally-adjusted quarter-on-quarter basis in the third quarter, contrasting the 7.0% contraction recorded in the second quarter and marking the strongest expansion on record. Switzerland’s economic performance in recent quarters compares favorably to its European peers, with GDP now a mere 2% below its pre-Covid-19 peak.
The upturn reflected recoveries in private consumption, fixed investment and exports as restrictions on activity were lifted at home and abroad. Household spending bounced back, growing 11.9% in seasonally-adjusted quarter-on-quarter terms in Q3, compared to a 8.1% contraction in Q2. Government spending rose 0.2% in Q3 (Q2: 0.0% s.a. qoq). Fixed investment rebounded, growing 7.4% in Q3, following the 8.2% decrease logged in the previous quarter.
Exports of goods and services bounced back, growing 2.9% in Q3 (Q2: -4.7% s.a. qoq). In addition, imports of goods and services rebounded, growing 5.8% in Q3 (Q2: -7.0% s.a. qoq).
On an annual basis, economic activity dropped 1.6% in Q3, up from the previous quarter's 7.8% decrease.
Digging deeper into Switzerland’s recent economic performance was Charlotte de Montpellier, economist at ING:
“Overall, the recovery of the Swiss economy in the third quarter was very solid. […] The decline observed in the first half of the year was smaller in Switzerland [compared to European neighbors] and the recovery was very dynamic. This can probably be explained by a number of factors. The lockdown measures introduced in the spring in Switzerland were less stringent and lasted for a shorter period of time than in neighbouring countries, allowing for a smaller economic shock. Businesses were probably also helped by a very effective deployment of the aid measures put in place by the government. Finally, Swiss exports of goods suffered less and recovered much better than in other countries such as France. This is probably due to the fact that they are traditionally largely oriented towards the pharmaceutical sector.”
Looking at Q4, the outlook is darker due to tighter lockdown restrictions. However, the slowdown will still be much less marked than in the spring, as measures are still notably looser than at the height of the first lockdown.
FocusEconomics Consensus Forecast panelists expect the economy to expand 3.6% in 2021, which is down 0.4 percentage points from last month’s forecast. In 2022, the panel expects GDP to expand 2.8%.
Switzerland - Investment Data
2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Investment (annual variation in %) | 2.3 | 2.5 | 3.4 | 1.1 | 0.8 |
Switzerland Facts
Value | Change | Date | |
---|---|---|---|
Bond Yield | -0.51 | 6.27 % | Jan 01 |
Exchange Rate | 0.97 | -0.54 % | Jan 01 |
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Economic News
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Switzerland: Consumer prices fall at a softer rate on an annual basis in January
February 12, 2021
Consumer prices increased 0.06% over the previous month in January, contrasting December's 0.10% drop.
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Switzerland: Retail sales grow at joint-quickest pace since May in December
February 1, 2021
Retail sales rose 4.7% year-on-year in calendar-adjusted terms in December, which was above November's 1.8% increase.
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Switzerland: Manufacturing PMI picks up in January, services PMI pulls back
February 1, 2021
The manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) produced by Credit Suisse and procure.ch rose from 57.3 in December to 59.4 in January, the highest reading in over two years and moving further above the 50-threshold signaling expansion in the manufacturing sector.
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Switzerland: KOF Economic Barometer falls sharply in January
January 29, 2021
The KOF Economic Barometer—a leading composite indicator for the Swiss economy—fell from 104.1 in December to 96.5 in January, moving below the long-term average of 100.
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Switzerland: Retail sales growth wanes in November
January 7, 2021
Retail sales expanded 1.7% year-on-year in calendar-adjusted terms in November (October: +4.3%).