Swiss stocks - Factors to watch on March 30
30/03/2020 06:16
ZURICH/BERLIN, March 30(Reuters) - Here are some of the main
factors that may affect Swiss stocks on Monday:
CORONAVIRUS
The Swiss death toll from coronavirus reached 257 and the
number of confirmed cases 14,336 on Sunday, according to the
public health agency. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N2BM02J
GOVERNMENT HELP
The Swiss government could increase a 20 billion Swiss franc
($20.93 billion) loan programme to help keep companies afloat
and save jobs amidst the coronavirus crisis, the finance
minister told weekly Sonntagsblick. "It is possible that we
might have to step this up," Ueli Maurer said in an interview
published on Sunday. "The 20 billion are tight." urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N2BM07P
ABB ABBN.S
The Swiss engineering group became the latest company to
warn about the impact of the coronavirus on its profits, saying
all of its businesses would suffer in the first quarter.
FWN2BM01A
NOVARTIS NOVN.S
Chief Executive Vas Narasimhan sees his Sandoz generics
unit's malaria, lupus and arthritis drug hydroxychloroquine as
the company's biggest hope against the coronavirus, Swiss
newspaper SonntagsZeitung reported on Sunday. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N2BM02W
UBS UBSG.S
Axel Lehmann, the head of the bank's Swiss business, said
the lender has granted loans under the state's coronavirus
emergency scheme totalling more than 1 billion Swiss francs on
Thursday and Friday. The lender will stick to its promise to not
pass on negative interest rates to small savers, he told NZZ am
Sonntag.
UBS Group is maintaining its previously announced dividend
for 2019, the Swiss bank said on Monday, adding shareholders
will not be able to physically participate in its April 29
annual general meeting due to the coronavirus. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nFWN2BM01D
VONTOBEL VONN.S
Annual general meeting takes place without shareholders
physically present.
COMPANY STATEMENTS
* Bossard Holding BOS.S maintains dividend but at a
reduced level.
* Novartis NOVN.S said new analysis further showed durable
and potent LDL-C reduction with inclisiran, an investigational
first-in-class sirna cholesterol-lowering treatment.
* Schindler SCHP.S on Friday lowered its guidance for 2020
and now expects revenue growth in the range of zero to minus 10%
in local currencies, versus zero to plus 5% previously, due to
the coronavirus pandemic.
* Landis+Gyr Group LANDI.S on Friday said it had started
to experience some impacts related to COVID-19 and some further
weakness in demand in North America.
* Straumann Holding AG STMN.S on Friday said it had
successfully completed the placement of a CHF 280 million bond.
EX-DIVIDEND
ABB ABBN.S - 0.80 CHF/shr dividend
ECONOMY
SNB sight deposits due at 0800 GMT.
Swiss KOF indicator due at 0700 GMT. Seen at 81.6.
($1 = 0.9555 Swiss francs)
(Reporting by Zurich newsroom and Berlin Speed Desk)
((+41 58 306 7336; zurich.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com))
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