The Swiss stock market is notably lower in mid-day trading on Friday. Share plunged in early trading, and while they are off their lows, the market still remains firmly in the red.
The debt squabbles in the U.S. helped stir negative sentiment at the start of trading. Negotiations between the president and Congress over raising the debt ceiling have stalled, with a possible credit rating downgrade hanging over the country.
Meanwhile, traders are nervous ahead of results of the recent stress tests of European banks.
The benchmark SMI index is down 0.68 percent in mid-day trading, falling to 5,940.53. The SLI is down 0.92 percent to 916.65. The SPI is lower by 0.69 percent to 5,457.48.
Financial stocks are generally under pressure, hurt by negative comments from Barclays. UBS is down by 1.4 percent and Credit Suisse is lower by 1.2 percent.
SGS is down sharply, falling by 6.0 percent. The retreat comes after the company revealed disappointing earnings results.
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April 17, 2026 15:29 ET The ongoing conflict in the Middle East continues to raise concerns for policymakers who worry about the impact of the supply shock and high energy prices on the real economy. Producer price data and various survey results on the housing market were the main news from the U.S. this week. In Europe, industrial production data for the euro area gained attention. GDP figures out of China and the policy move by the Singapore central bank were in focus in Asia.