Home Europe Switzerland

Banks in Switzerland

Credit Suisse head office Clariden Leu Pictet & Cie Bank Sarasin & Cie UBS
Credit Suisse Clariden Leu Pictet & Cie Sarasin & Co UBS
  • Bank Coop – A universal bank operating across the country. It provides a wide range of banking services needed by personal customers and small and medium-sized businesses.
  • Bank Sarasin & Co – One of Switzerland's largest private banks. The Bank’s core activities include investment advisory and asset management services for private and institutional clients. Its majority shareholder is Safra.
  • Bank Zweiplus – A subsidiary of Swiss private bank Bank Sarasin & Co. Ltd. Bank Zweiplus is specialized in providing investment and pension advisory services. It was established in 2008 and is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland.
  • Bank for International Settlements – An international organisation which serves as a bank for central banks. It was established in 1830 and is based in Basel, Switzerland.
  • BSI – An institution that specialises in asset management and related services for private and institutional clients. In 1998, BSI became part of the Italian Generali group, one of the world's largest insurance companies.
  • Clariden Leu – An exclusive Swiss private bank with over 250 years of experience in Swiss private banking. It is one of the largest private banks in Switzerland and serves wealthy clients, external asset managers and institutional clients.
  • Credit Suisse – A multinational financial services company with offices in 25 countries. It is a leading bank for private, corporate and institutional customers in Switzerland.
  • EFG Bank European Financial Group – A Swiss bank based in Geneva. It owns 49% of EFG International, a global private banking group specialising in private banking and asset management.
  • Falcon Private Bank – A leading provider of wealth management solutions. It offers Swiss private banking expertise for private clients, wealthy families and institutional investors. The Bank accepts deposits of US$5 million and above from clients.
  • Habib Bank AG Zurich – A commercial bank incorporated in Switzerland. It is privately owned and managed by the Habib family. The Bank was founded in 1967.
  • Julius Baer – One of the largest private banks in Switzerland. As of April 30, 2012, total client assets amounted to CHF268 billion (US$295 billion), with assets under management of CHF178 billion (US$196 billion).
  • Raiffeisen Schweiz – The third-largest banking group in Switzerland and the leading retail bank in the country. Raiffeisen claims 20 percent of the country’s market share for traditional customer deposits.
  • Rothschild Bank AG – An independent Swiss bank providing private banking and asset management to wealthy individuals around the globe.
  • Swiss Bankers Association – The leading site on swiss banking, finance, banking secrecy, private banking and etc.
  • Swiss National Bank (SNB) – The central bank of Switzerland established in 1907. It manages the official gold reserves of Switzerland, which as of 2012 amount to 1040 tonnes.
  • Union Bancaire Privée (UBP) – One of the major Swiss asset management banks for both private and institutional clients. With a Tier-1 ratio of 24%, UBP is one of best-capitalised private banks.
  • UBS – A leading global wealth manager, investment banking and securities firm, and the second-largest asset management company in the world. It has operations in more than 50 countries.
  • Valiant Holding AG – A Swiss financial services provider. It operates through a network of more than 100 local branches in the Swiss cantons of Aargau, Basel, Berne, Fribourg, Jura, Lucerne, Solothurn, Waandt and Zug.
  • Vontobel Holding AG provides wealth management services for private and institutional clients and investment banking services. The firm operates in Switzerland, European countries, Americas and other countries.
  • Wegelin & Co is the oldest Swiss private bank established in 1741. In January 2012, Wegelin & Co. transferred a majority of clients and staff to Notenstein Private Bank.
  • WIR Bank – An independent complementary currency system that serves small and medium-sized enterprises. Established in October 1934 in Zurich, it has around 80,000 members.

Cantonal Banks

There are 24 Cantonal banks in Switzerland. They are 100% or majority-owned by the cantons. The banks focus on loans to small and medium-sized companies and retail banking.

Assets, CHF b Assets, CHF b
Aargauische Kantonalbank (AKB) 19.907 Glarner Kantonalbank 3.307
Appenzeller Kantonalbank (APPKB) 2.329 Graubundner Kantonalbank 17.869
Banca dello Stato del Cantone Ticino 8.993 Luzerner Kantonalbank (LUKB) 26.856
Banque Cantonale de Fribourg 14.425 Nidwaldner Kantonalbank 3.498
Banque Cantonale de Geneve (BCGE) 15.871 Obwaldner Kantonalbank 3.510
Banque Cantonale du Jura 2.231 Schaffhauser Kantonalbank 4.937
Banque Cantonale du Valais 11.489 Schwyzer Kantonalbank 13.026
Banque Cantonale Neuchateloise 8.065 St. Galler Kantonalbank (SGKB) 26.074
Banque Cantonale Vaudoise (BCV) 37.903 Thurgauer Kantonalbank 16.728
Basellandschaftliche Kantonalbank 18.742 Urner Kantonalbank 2.433
Basler Kantonalbank (BKB) 38.760 Zuger Kantonalbank 11.645
Berner Kantonalbank (BEKB | BCBE) 25.219 Zurcher Kantonalbank (ZKB) 133.999

Family Owned Swiss Banks

Top 10 Swiss Banks by total assets

Rank Company Assets, CHF bn, 30/06/2012 Assets, CHF bn, 31/12/2011 Market cap, Sept 13, 2012
1 UBS 1,412.04 1,419.16 46.10bn CHF
2 Credit Suisse Group 1,043.46 1,049.16 27.94bn CHF
3 Zurich Cantonal Bank 145.557 133.999 -
4 Julius Baer Group 54.203 52.929 6.39bn CHF
5 Banque Cantonale Vaudoise 39.835 37.903 4.38bn CHF
6 Basler Kantonalbank 39.218 38.760 3.27bn CHF
7 Luzerner Kantonalbank 26.865 26.856 2.79bn CHF
8 St. Galler Kantonalbank 27.397 26.074 1.98bn CHF
9 Valiant Holding 25.520 25.215 1.27bn CHF
10 Berner Kantonalbank (BEKB/BCBE) 25.968 25.219 2.33bn CHF