ZURICH/BERLIN, Dec 16 (Reuters) - Here are some of the main
factors that may affect Swiss stocks on Wednesday:
    
    CORONAVIRUS
    Germany recorded 952 daily COVID-19 deaths, by far the
highest number since the start of the pandemic.
    Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical  600196.SS   2196.HK  said it
will buy at least 100 million doses of a COVID-19 vaccine from
BioNTech  22UAy.DE  for use in mainland China next year, if the
vaccine receives approval.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N2IW025
    The European Commission is planning to exercise options to
buy 180 million additional doses of coronavirus vaccine, Der
Spiegel reported. The Commission is planning to buy 80 million
additional doses from Moderna  MRNA.O  and 100 million from
BioNTech and its U.S. partner Pfizer  PFE.N , it added.
    The U.S. government and Pfizer are negotiating an agreement
for more vaccine doses next year, the New York Times reported,
citing people familiar with the situation.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nFWN2IV0X5
    
    
    NOVARTIS  NOVN.S 
    The company's bid to pump up sales of its Entresto heart
failure medicine beyond $5 billion annually got a boost when a
U.S. Food and Drug advisory panel recommended it be used to
treat a different form of the disease.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N2IW0MM
    
      
    COMPANY STATEMENTS
    * Lonza  LONN.S  and Aurinia Pharmaceuticals announced they
have expanded their exclusive manufacturing relationship.
 urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nBwPxTVqa
    * Aryzta  ARYN.S : Veraison said it is pleased about the
strengthening of the board of directors at the AGM and progress
regarding the strategy implementation. 
    * Baloise  BALN.S  announced a partnership with
Pensionskasse Basel-Stadt.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nTEN8m2hva
    * V-Zug  VZUG.S  said it expects a clear increase of its
operating result for 2020 compared to the previous year.
 urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nEQ8nDY3Qa
    * Georg Fischer  FIN.S  announced the acquisition of a
Brazilian manufacturer of polyethylene piping systems.
 urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nPexKLsmHa
    * Orell Füssli  OFN.S  said it completed the implementation
of the transformation programme of the publishing houses.
 urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nEQ62B3cza
    
    
    ANALYSTS' VIEWS
    CREDIT SUISSE  CSGN.S  - JP MORGAN RAISES TARGET PRICE TO
CHF 12.70 FROM CHF 12
    DORMAKABA  DOKA.S  - CREDIT SUISSE CUTS TARGET PRICE TO CHF
600 FROM CHF 660
    
    
    ECONOMY
    No major Swiss economic data scheduled

 (Reporting by Zurich newsroom and Berlin Speed Desk)
 ((+41 58 306 7336; zurich.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com))
 
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