Switzerland: Pensions and Investment News and Analysis
The country’s direct democracy has a lot to say about pensions in what is Europe’s third-largest pension market. A March 2024 referendum backed a higher state pension – the only issue is financing the hike, a problem the government is currently grappling with. A referendum on 22 September 2024 centres on a proposal to boost workplace pensions by maintaining benefits and protecting lower paid and part-time workers. It will lower pension accrual and increase contributions. The central motion has been backed by government, parliament, employers and the pension association ASIP, but not by unions.
Pension Funds in Switzerland - Country Report
Switzerland country report 2024: The trouble with Swiss second-pillar pension reform
Attempts to reform occupational pensions continue to fail, risking undermining public trust. But pension funds have already been making their own pragmatic changes
TOP SWISS PENSION FUNDS 2024
Pension fund/entity | Assets (€’000)
- Compenswiss/Swiss Federal Social Security Funds | 45,603,811
- PUBLICA | 43,640,320
- Kanton Zürich (BVK) | 42,843,506
- UBS Pensionskasse | 30,635,160
- Migros (MPK) | 30,597,045
©IPE Research; View the Top 1000 European Pensions Funds 2024 for a comprehensive market overview
IPE DACH Briefing: Pension funds retreat from the US while looking at Asia
Corporate pension funds are lowering their exposures to equities, the dollar and US Treasuries, and hesitating to commit new capital to private markets in the US
Swiss pension fund boosts private assets in bid to lift returns
GastroSocial Pensionskasse has increased its private markets exposure to 33% of its portfolio, up from 25%
Swiss BVK to tender custodian mandate to global banks despite security concerns
The fund says it’s in the best interest of its members to maintain access to the global custody market, citing competitive pricing, service quality, and innovation
DACH pension funds adapt to US trade policies
US trade and tariff policies are prompting corporate pension funds in Germany and wider DACH region to review strategic asset allocation assumptions
Basel pension fund raises equity, CHF bond allocations for 2025
PKBS is exiting its ILS holdings, reallocating capital to conventional fixed income and domestic real estate
TOP MANAGERS: SWISS INSTITUTIONAL ASSETS
Company | Assets (€m)
- Zürcher Kantonalbank | 259,829*
- UBS Asset Management | 257,813[1]
- Swiss Life Asset Management | 131,028
- Pictet Asset Management | 72,132*
- AXA Investment Managers | 66,904
- BlackRock | 55,609
- Record Currency Mangement | 53,436***
- Vontobel | 51,459*
- Mesirow Currency Management | 47,619**
- Baloise Asset Management | 38,295
As at 30.6.24, *31.8.24, **30.9.24 ***28.6.24
[1] Excludes Credit Suisse Asset Management AUM
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IPE BEST PENSION FUND IN SWITZERLAND AWARD WINNERS
- 2023 - Pensionskasse Manor
- 2022 - CERN Pension Fund
- 2021 - Pensionskasse Bosch Schweiz
- 2020 - Pensionskasse Manor
- 2019 - CPEG, Caisse de prévoyance de l’Etat de Genève
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Swiss pension funds reform second-pillar pensions from the bottom up
September’s referendum on the reform of second-pillar pensions demonstrates that comprehensive proposals engineered from the top down don’t always bring the expected results. The latest proposal was roundly defeated by two thirds of the electorate.
IPE DACH Briefing: Pension funds retreat from the US while looking at Asia
Corporate pension funds are lowering their exposures to equities, the dollar and US Treasuries, and hesitating to commit new capital to private markets in the US
Swiss pension fund boosts private assets in bid to lift returns
GastroSocial Pensionskasse has increased its private markets exposure to 33% of its portfolio, up from 25%
Swiss BVK to tender custodian mandate to global banks despite security concerns
The fund says it’s in the best interest of its members to maintain access to the global custody market, citing competitive pricing, service quality, and innovation
DACH pension funds adapt to US trade policies
US trade and tariff policies are prompting corporate pension funds in Germany and wider DACH region to review strategic asset allocation assumptions
Basel pension fund raises equity, CHF bond allocations for 2025
PKBS is exiting its ILS holdings, reallocating capital to conventional fixed income and domestic real estate
Swiss regulator warns on rising funding risks in occupational pensions
Stress test conducted by OAK BV on 1,237 pension funds finds that 57.4% would fall into underfunding in the event of a severe market downturn
Swiss pension fund to lower emission targets if global progress lags
The City of Zurich pension fund’s CIO describes the approach as ‘a middle way’
Swiss pension industry faces mounting skills shortage as funds invest in training
Pension funds in teh DACH region are bracing for growing recruitment challenges, particularly in areas requiring specialised expertise
Swiss pensions curb exposure to US dollar assets amid debt, policy concerns
Publica, Switzerland’s largest pension fund, has already underweighted US equities and is currently reviewing its overall investment strategy
How seven European pension funds view active management
IPE asked leading European pension funds for their views on active management, with turmoil in the equity markets and continuing geopolitical uncertainty around the world
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