Published on Friday, the Swiss Economy Reputation Index (SERX), which measures the public’s perception of Swiss companies, has held steady so far this year, but doubts are starting to creep in.
The index stood at 94.5 points in the first quarter of 2025, the same level as at the end of 2024.
This index is calculated every three months by the Basel-based consultancy commsLAB in collaboration with the University of Zurich.
The 2024 annual corporate results presented during the quarter were positively received, particularly in the banking, retail, food and insurance sectors. However, with the imposition of the new US tariffs, the dynamic has changed considerably.
In public opinion, the pharmaceutical industry is by far the hardest hit. The machinery industry and the luxury goods sector are also being negatively impacted to an above-average degree.
US President Donald Trump’s tariffs are currently acting as a negative factor for the country’s reputation, according to the study. However, the collapse of Credit Suisse, recently fuelled by the report of a parliamentary inquiry, and the high-profile debate on executive pay have continued to have an even more negative impact on the reputation of the Swiss economy.
Overall, the disruptive climate since Trump took office has not yet resulted in significant reputational losses for the Swiss economy as a whole. However, there have been significant changes within individual sectors.
The reputation of the machinery industry has once again deteriorated considerably. The pharmaceutical sector, which still led the sector rankings at the end of 2024, has also lost considerable ground, falling to fourth place.
Banks, on the other hand, have returned from third place to first place in the confidence index.
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