The Swiss Stock Exchange was still missing on Wednesday as mid-day approaches. While the results season continues, with in particular in Switzerland those of UBS, investors remained circumspect in the face of the announcement of a new three-month stay in the commercial negotiations between the United States and China, which preferring to wait for the decision of the federal reserve in the evening.
In addition to the wave of half-yearly performance of the day, including that of Microsoft in the evening, investors will also look into the evolution of the gross domestic product (GDP) in the second quarter in Europe and the United States. In France, economic growth reached 0.3% in the second quarter, driven by stocks and a slight rebound in household consumption. In Italy, GDP bent 0.1% between April and late June, while that of Germany also contracted 0.1%, to everyone’s surprise.
In Switzerland, economic prospects are improving. After reaching its lowest level in June, the cyclical barometer compiled by the dedicated research institute of the Zurich Federal Polytechnic School (EPFZ) significantly increased in July.
In terms of commercial relations, the United States and China have agreed to extend their price pricing by 90 days, initially scheduled to expire on August 12, after discussions deemed “frank and in-depth” in Stockholm. This postponement for the moment avoids a brutal rise in customs duties at 145% on Chinese exports and maintains the current levels of 30% on Chinese products and 10% on American goods.
This respite offers a potentially more stable framework to prepare a possible meeting between Xi Jinping and Donald Trump by the end of the year, notes John Plassard, partner of the Cité Gestion in charge of the investment strategy.
On the Swiss Stock Exchange, the SMI, after having opened on an imperceptible withdrawal of 0.07%, was always hesitant in the morning, the flagship index noting shortly before 10:40 am to 11,967.79 points, an increase of just 0.07%. The SLI took it 0.02% at 1992.62 points, while the enlarged SPI indicator was slightly firmer thanks to a gain of 0.15% to 16,713.05 points.
Among the 31 constitutive values of the Swiss Leader Index, 13 lost ground and 17 won, while the participation voucher of the manufacturer of elevators and mechanical Schindler staircases was treading.
At the top of the table, the cement maker Amrize (+2.5%) escaped alone in mind, ahead of the fortune manager Julius Baer (+1.2%) and the giant of generic drugs Sandoz (+0.4%), the Basel group having announced that it has signed a non-binding memorandum of agreement with the German Evotec in order to acquire its internal development capacities of development and Biologics in Toulouse, France. Geberit (+1.1%) failed at the foot of the provisional podium, followed by UBS (1.1%).
The number one Swiss banking has released between April and late June a net profit of $ 2.40 billion (1.93 billion francs), multiplied by two over one year. The establishment with the three keys notably saw its assets under management jump to 6618 billion, against 6153 billion in late March.
Of the three heavyweights on the side, only Novartis (+0.2%) kept his head out of the water, the neighbor’s voucher and competitor rock yielding 0.2%, while the nominative nestlé (-0.02%) hesitated between red and green.
At the bottom of the ranking, Sonova (-2.7%) kept the red lantern, behind Sig Group (-1.3%) and Swiss Re (-0.9%). Logitech remained in the losses area (-0.1%). Tuesday evening, the Valdo-Californian manufacturer of devices and IT accessories said it has managed to improve its turnover and profitability in the first quarter of its offbeat exercise 2025-2026. Performance has exceeded the expectations of the AWP consensus.
On the enlarged market, Huber+Suhner took off almost 14%, the Appenzello-Zurichois specialist in electrical and optical connectivity systems that have expressed a large command.
Inficon tumbled by 6.3%. The manufacturer of measuring instruments has disappointed expectations in terms of profitability and adjusting its annual prospects. Autoeum also fell by 6.3%, the automotive subcontractor having seen his sales and his profitability fell in the first half of 2025.
Bucher industries also plunged 5.7%. The manufacturer of agricultural machinery and road vehicles revised its forecasts for the financial year 2025.
The Rhenish Idorsia laboratory leapped by 5.9%, it has managed to release a positive net result during the first half, in particular thanks to the recipes of its Qudiviq sleeping pool. Management has confirmed its forecasts for this year. (Awp)
