Zurich – The Swiss stock market opened Tuesday in a distinctly positive note, invigorated by a new presumed turnaround by US President Donald Trump on the war in the Middle East. The White House occupant reportedly indicated to Wall Street Journal that colleagues should be ready to end the offensive in Iran, even as Tehran maintains control over the Strait of Hormuz.
“At this stage, it’s difficult to believe these reports, but they do have the advantage of calming the rise in oil prices, which is on track to experience its biggest monthly increase in history…” said John Plassard, an associate at Citigroup Management.
On the economic front, Chinese industrial sentiment saw a significant rebound in March after two gloomy months. There are also updates on inflation in the eurozone and US employment. In France, inflation jumped notably in March, up 1.7% year-on-year.
Locally, a string of company results were announced, most of which were modest.
By 09:15, the Swiss Market Index (SMI) was up 0.39% at 12,716.27 points, the Swiss Leader Index (SLI) rose by 0.36% to 2,020.87 points, and the broad Swiss Performance Index (SPI) increased by 0.40% to 17,743.71 points. Out of the top thirty valuations, 18 were up, eleven were down, and Holcim was stagnating.
Major bank UBS (+0.9%) benefited from press reports about federal parliamentarians’ willingness to negotiate on regulatory capital issues.
The current spotlight was on Sonova (+1.5%), which just announced an expansion plan in Singapore, followed by insurers Swiss Life (+1.1%) and Helvetia Baloise (+1.0%).
Insurance companies also showed positive trends, with Swiss Life gaining 1.0% and Swiss Re 0.8%.
Pharmaceutical giants Novartis (+0.7%) and Roche (+0.5%) supported the market, along with Nestle (+0.6%).
In the broader market, app developer Mindmaze surged by 11%, boasting about the effectiveness of their therapy suite. IT solutions provider SoftwareOne (+5.8%) also had a successful year in 2025.
Distribution facilitator DKSH (-3.6% or 2.15 Swiss francs) will be traded ex-dividend of 2.50 Swiss francs.
Vacuum pump equipment supplier VAT Group (stable) issued a warning on first-quarter results, citing the war in the Middle East.
However, Israeli telemedicine specialist SHL Telemedicine (-8.3%) remained heavily in the red last year. Mountain railway operator Jungfraubahn reported results in line with expectations, with cautious outlook. US real estate company Varia US significantly widened its losses last year despite significant asset sales.
(Context: This article provides a snapshot of the Swiss stock market and key economic indicators for the day. Fact Check: The information provided is a summary of market movements and economic reports and is based on current data available.)
