Investment banking is an advisory-based financial service for institutional investors, corporations, governments, and similar clients. Traditionally associated with corporate finance, such a bank might assist in raising financial capital by underwriting or acting as the client's agent in the issuance of debt or equity securities. An investment bank may also assist companies involved in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and provide ancillary services such as market making, trading of derivatives and equity securities, FICC services or research. Most investment banks maintain prime brokerage and asset management departments in conjunction with their investment research businesses. As an industry, it is broken up into the Bulge Bracket, Middle Market, and boutique market.
Banking in Switzerland dates to the early 18th century through Switzerland's merchant trade and over the centuries has grown into a complex and regulated international industry. Banking is seen as emblematic of Switzerland and the country has been one of the largest offshore financial centers and tax havens in the world since the mid-20th century, with a long history of banking secrecy and client confidentiality reaching back to the early 1700s. Starting as a way to protect wealthy European banking interests, Swiss banking secrecy was codified in 1934 with the passage of a landmark federal law, the Federal Act on Banks and Savings Banks. These laws were used to protect assets of persons being persecuted by Nazi authorities but have also been used by people and institutions seeking to illegally evade taxes, hide assets, or to commit other financial crime.
SIX Swiss Exchange, based in Zürich, is Switzerland's principal stock exchange. SIX Swiss Exchange also trades other securities such as Swiss government bonds and derivatives such as stock options.
Julius Bär Group AG, known alternatively as Julius Baer Group Ltd., is a private banking corporation founded and based in Switzerland. Headquartered in Zürich, it is among the older Swiss banking institutions. In terms of assets under management, Julius Baer is number two among Swiss banks after UBS and the biggest pure play private bank. The bank's reputation has been marred by various controversies and legal challenges. These include a legal dispute with WikiLeaks in 2008, allegations of aiding U.S. citizens in tax evasion in 2011, and a censure by the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) in 2020 for deficiencies in combating money laundering. The bank has also been implicated in money laundering scandals involving corrupt Venezuelan officials and has faced investigations for its role in the FIFA corruption case. These controversies have cast a shadow on its legacy and raised questions about its compliance and ethical practices.
BX Swiss is a Swiss stock exchange operated by BX Swiss AG. It has its main office in Zurich and is subject to supervision by the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA).
The Swiss Bankers Association is a professional organization of Swiss financial institutions.
The Pictet Group, known as Pictet, is a Swiss multinational private bank and financial services company founded in Switzerland. Headquartered in Geneva, it is one of the largest Swiss banks and primarily offers services in wealth management, asset management, and asset servicing, to private clients and institutions.
UBS Group AG is a multinational investment bank and financial services company founded and based in Switzerland. Headquartered simultaneously in Zürich and Basel, it maintains a presence in all major financial centres as the largest Swiss banking institution and the largest private bank in the world. UBS investment bankers and private bankers are known for their strict bank–client confidentiality and culture of banking secrecy. Because of the bank's large positions in the Americas, EMEA and Asia Pacific markets, the Financial Stability Board considers it a global systemically important bank.
The Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority is the Swiss government body responsible for financial regulation. This includes the supervision of banks, insurance companies, stock exchanges and securities dealers, as well as other financial intermediaries in Switzerland. FINMA's name and acronym are usually expressed in English so as to avoid the semblance of favouring any one of Switzerland's linguistic regions.
Bank Syz Ltd is a boutique Swiss private bank which is part of the Syz Group and was founded in 1996 by Eric Syz, Alfredo Piacentini and Paolo Luban. In June 2014, two of the co-founders decided to continue their careers in a different direction. Eric Syz therefore took control of almost all the shares of the Group's holding company.
VZ Group is a Swiss financial service provider based in Zug. It is known by the name VZ Vermögenszentrum on the market. Since March 2007, the holding company VZ Holding Ltd is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange.
CBH Compagnie Bancaire Helvétique SA was created in 1975 as a brokerage company known as stock and commodities services. In 1991, it obtained full banking license in Switzerland. The group currently employs approximately 260 employees. The current general manager is Philippe Cordonier. The bank is located in Geneva in the Canton of Geneva in Switzerland, and specialized in private banking and asset management.
Raiffeisen Switzerland is a cooperative of cooperatives – the union of all independent Swiss Raiffeisen banks. It bears responsibility for the business policy and strategy within the Raiffeisen Group. The 219 independent Raiffeisen banks of Switzerland are organised as cooperatives. With 896 branch offices in total, they make up the densest branch network of any Swiss bank. After the acquisition of Credit Suisse by UBS, the Raiffeisen Group has become the second-largest banking group in Switzerland with client assets under management of 246.6 billion francs. Since June 2014, Raiffeisen has been classified as one of Switzerland's systemically important banks and must therefore meet special requirements in terms of capital. Raiffeisen Switzerland has 3.65 million clients in Switzerland, of whom approximately 1.9 million are cooperative members and thus co-owners of their regional Raiffeisen banks.
J. Safra Sarasin is a Swiss private bank, founded in 1841 and headquartered in Basel, Switzerland. It is currently owned by the Brazilian J. Safra Group, and was formed in its present state in 2013, when Safra Group acquired Bank Sarasin & Co. Ltd, merging it with its Bank Jacob Safra Switzerland subsidiary.
Rothschild & Co is a multinational private and alternative assets investor, headquartered in Paris, France and London, United Kingdom. It is the flagship of the Rothschild banking group controlled by the British and French branches of the Rothschild family.
Mirabaud is a Swiss private bank based in Geneva, Switzerland. Mirabaud provides services in wealth management, asset management and brokerage to private clients and institutions around the world.
The Swiss Private Bankers Association is a Swiss trade association made up of banking institutions that meet the legal definition of a private banker according to Swiss law. It is based in Geneva, Switzerland, and currently has six members.
Dukascopy Bank is a Swiss online bank which provides online and mobile trading, banking and financial services. Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, it also has offices in Riga and Tokyo, with over 300 employees.
Bank Cler is a Basel-based Swiss bank founded in 1927. The bank's main area of activity is retail banking for private individuals and small and medium-sized companies. Until it became a wholly owned subsidiary of Basler Kantonalbank in 2019 the bank's shares were listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange.
ONE Swiss Bank SA is a Swiss publicly traded private bank and wealth management firm based in Geneva. One Swiss Bank specializes in private banking and tailored asset & wealth management. It provides its services to private and institutional clients across Switzerland and the world.
