Switzerland is one of the most important financial centers in the world. This is reflected in the large number of Swiss banks and insurance companies as well as subsidiaries of foreign institutions in Switzerland. In the course of the political and regulatory reorientation on the global financial markets since the outbreak of the financial crisis in 2008, the Swiss financial center is also subject to significant transformations. At the same time, the traditional business models of banks and insurance companies are facing new challenges due to technological developments and a sustainable change in customer needs (digitalization, fintech, etc.). The effects on the value creation and competitiveness of individual companies are manifold and are currently reflected in the fundamental realignment of business models and corporate strategies.
The change in the Swiss financial sector is by no means taking place in isolation, but in the context of immense systemic risks. These include the accelerated circulation of payment flows in globalized financial markets, inflation and the interest rate turnaround, as well as the handling of ESG or climate change. We consider these and numerous other general conditions in the banking and insurance sector when assessing the creditworthiness of currently almost 20 private institutions in our rating universe.
