Swiss private banking in clinch with high cost level

For the international wealth management industry, 2012 was a more benign year than the harsh 2011. Due to favorable stock and bond markets the volumes of managed funds increased, though not returning to pre-crisis levels. In addition, most banks managed to attract new funds. Nevertheless, the biggest wealth managers lost some market share to medium-sized competitors. Post-crisis low turnover and low interest rates still put pressure on returns, while cost levels remained sticky. The cost/income ratio remains critical even though gross margins on managed assets stabilized from 2011 to 2012. This is particularly true for Swiss banks and, after a significant deterioration over the last few years, for Liechtenstein banks.

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