How to invest in Switzerland using ETFs
How do I invest in Swiss stocks?
The easiest way to invest in the whole Swiss stock market is to invest in a broad market index. This can be done at low cost by using ETFs.
On the Swiss stock market you find 6 indices, which are tracked by ETFs.
Alternatively, you can consider indices on Europe. These indices weight Switzerland with up to 28%.
Performance of Swiss stocks (SLI®)
Indices in comparison
The best indices for ETFs on Switzerland
For an investment in the Swiss stock market, 6 indices tracked by 15 ETFs are available. On the Dow Jones Switzerland Titans 30 index there is 1 ETF. On the MSCI Switzerland index there are 2 ETFs. On the MSCI Switzerland 20/35 index there are 3 ETFs. On the SLI® index there are 4 ETFs. On the SMI® index there are 2 ETFs. On the SPI® index there are 3 ETFs. The total expense ratio (TER) of ETFs on these indices is between 0.10% p.a. and 0.51% p.a..
| Index | Investment focus | Number of ETFs | Number of constituents | Short description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Dow Jones Switzerland Titans 30 |
Switzerland | 1 ETF | 30 |
The Dow Jones Switzerland Titans 30 index tracks the 30 largest Swiss stocks. The weight of each stock is capped at 10%. |
MSCI Switzerland |
Switzerland | 2 ETFs | 38 (31/10/16) |
The MSCI Switzerland index tracks around 40 leading stocks on the Swiss market.
Index factsheet |
MSCI Switzerland 20/35 |
Switzerland | 3 ETFs | 38 (30/04/14) |
The MSCI Switzerland 20/35 index tracks around 40 leading stocks on the Swiss market.
The imbedded 20/35 rule limits the weight of the largest company to 35% and all other companies to maximum 20%.
Index factsheet |
SLI® |
Switzerland | 4 ETFs | 30 |
The Swiss Leader Index (SLI®) (total return) index tracks the 30 largest and most liquid stocks of the entire Swiss equity market. |
SMI® |
Switzerland | 2 ETFs | 20 |
The SMI® index tracks the 20 largest and most liquid Swiss large and mid cap stocks. |
SPI® |
Switzerland | 3 ETFs | 203 (31/10/16) |
The SPI® index tracks the performance of the Swiss equity market as a whole.
Index factsheet |
| ETF ISIN |
Fund size in m CHF |
TER in % |
Use of profits | Fund domicile | Replication method | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iShares SMI (CH)CH0008899764 | 2,523 | 0.35% p.a. | Distributing | Switzerland | Full replication | |
| UBS ETF (CH) SMI (CHF) A-disCH0017142719 | 1,486 | 0.20% p.a. | Distributing | Switzerland | Full replication | |
| iShares Core SPI (CH)CH0237935652 | 925 | 0.10% p.a. | Distributing | Switzerland | Optimized sampling | |
| UBS ETF (CH) SPI (CHF) A-disCH0131872431 | 666 | 0.17% p.a. | Distributing | Switzerland | Optimized sampling | |
| iShares SLI (CH)CH0031768937 | 636 | 0.35% p.a. | Distributing | Switzerland | Full replication | |
| UBS ETF (CH) SLI (CHF) A-disCH0032912732 | 630 | 0.20% p.a. | Distributing | Switzerland | Full replication | |
| UBS ETF (LU) MSCI Switzerland 20/35 UCITS ETF (CHF) A-accLU0977261329 | 617 | 0.20% p.a. | Accumulating | Luxembourg | Full replication | |
| UBS ETF (CH) MSCI Switzerland (CHF) A-disCH0226274246 | 345 | 0.21% p.a. | Distributing | Switzerland | Full replication | |
| iShares SLI UCITS ETF (DE)DE0005933964 | 255 | 0.51% p.a. | Distributing | Germany | Full replication | |
| UBS ETF (LU) MSCI Switzerland 20/35 UCITS ETF (CHF) A-disLU0979892907 | 135 | 0.20% p.a. | Distributing | Luxembourg | Full replication | |
| Amundi ETF MSCI Switzerland UCITS ETF CHFFR0010871145 | 85 | 0.25% p.a. | Accumulating | France | Unfunded swap | |
| ComStage Dow Jones Switzerland Titans 30 Net TR UCITS ETFLU0392496427 | 36 | 0.25% p.a. | Distributing | Luxembourg | Full replication | |
| db x-trackers SLI UCITS ETF (DR) 1DLU0322248146 | 34 | 0.35% p.a. | Distributing | Luxembourg | Optimized sampling | |
| UBS ETF (LU) MSCI Switzerland 20/35 UCITS ETF (CHF) A-UKdisLU1107560036 | 25 | 0.20% p.a. | Distributing | Luxembourg | Full replication | |
| ComStage SPI TR UCITS ETFLU0603946798 | 14 | 0.40% p.a. | Accumulating | Luxembourg | Unfunded swap |
| Index | 1 month in % |
3 months in % |
6 months in % |
1 year in % |
3 years in % |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSCI Switzerland 20/35 | 2.44% | 8.20% | 17.04% | 12.75% | 13.30% | |
| SMI® | 2.74% | 8.63% | 17.78% | 12.81% | 12.58% | |
| MSCI Switzerland | 2.69% | 9.11% | 18.06% | 13.39% | 15.07% | |
| SPI® | 2.73% | 9.25% | 18.64% | 14.93% | 18.19% | |
| Dow Jones Switzerland Titans 30 | 1.25% | 7.20% | 15.52% | 15.32% | 15.94% | |
| SLI® | 1.37% | 7.60% | 16.07% | 16.55% | 15.82% |
| Index | 2017 in % |
2016 in % |
2015 in % |
2014 in % |
2013 in % |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dow Jones Switzerland Titans 30 | 11.56% | -1.40% | 1.85% | 11.86% | 21.88% | |
| SLI® | 12.22% | 0.18% | 2.72% | 8.57% | 23.97% | |
| MSCI Switzerland 20/35 | 12.55% | -3.58% | 1.13% | 11.52% | - | |
| SMI® | 12.88% | -3.89% | 0.87% | 12.37% | 23.23% | |
| MSCI Switzerland | 13.56% | -2.68% | 1.68% | 12.34% | - | |
| SPI® | 14.12% | -1.73% | 2.62% | - | - |
Source: justETF.com; As of 31/05/17; Calculations in CHF based on the largest ETF of the respective index.
The best Switzerland ETFs
by 1 year return
| 1 | UBS ETF (CH) SLI (CHF) A-dis | 17.06% |
| 2 | iShares SLI (CH) | 16.55% |
| 3 | db x-trackers SLI UCITS ETF (DR) 1D | 15.90% |
The cheapest Switzerland ETFs
by total expense ratio (TER)
| 1 | iShares Core SPI (CH) | 0.10% p.a. |
| 2 | UBS ETF (CH) SPI (CHF) A-dis | 0.17% p.a. |
| 3 | UBS ETF (CH) SLI (CHF) A-dis | 0.20% p.a. |
Swiss indices on small and mid caps or dividend strategies
Alternatively, you can consider indices on small and mid caps or dividend strategies. In total you can invest in 3 alternative indices on Switzerland tracked by 4 ETFs. The total expense ratio (TER) of ETFs on these alternative indices is between 0.15% p.a. and 0.45% p.a..
| Index | Investment focus | Number of ETFs | Number of constituents | Short description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SMIM® | Switzerland
Mid Cap |
2 ETFs | 30 |
The Swiss Market Index Mid (SMIM®) index tracks the 30 largest and most liquid Swiss mid-cap equities. |
| SPI® Mid Cap | Switzerland
Mid Cap |
1 ETF | 80 |
The SPI MID® index tracks the 80 largest mid-cap stocks in the Swiss equity market that are not included in the blue chip SMI index. |
| SPI® Select Dividend 20 | Switzerland
Dividend |
1 ETF | The SPI® Select Dividend 20 index tracks the 20 companies with the hightest dividend yield in the Swiss equity market. |
| ETF ISIN |
Fund size in m CHF |
TER in % |
Use of profits | Fund domicile | Replication method | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iShares SMIM (CH)CH0019852802 | 1,492 | 0.45% p.a. | Distributing | Switzerland | Full replication | |
| UBS ETF (CH) SMIM (CHF) A-disCH0111762537 | 606 | 0.27% p.a. | Distributing | Switzerland | Full replication | |
| iShares Swiss Dividend (CH)CH0237935637 | 223 | 0.15% p.a. | Distributing | Switzerland | Full replication | |
| UBS ETF (CH) SPI Mid (CHF) A-disCH0130595124 | 128 | 0.29% p.a. | Distributing | Switzerland | Full replication |
| Index | 1 month in % |
3 months in % |
6 months in % |
1 year in % |
3 years in % |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SPI® Select Dividend 20 | 3.00% | 9.29% | 17.19% | 13.20% | 17.40% | |
| SMIM® | 2.87% | 12.52% | 22.39% | 23.32% | 44.47% | |
| SPI® Mid Cap | 2.91% | 12.17% | 22.89% | 24.31% | 46.64% |
| Index | 2017 in % |
2016 in % |
2015 in % |
2014 in % |
2013 in % |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SPI® Select Dividend 20 | 12.70% | -0.03% | 1.29% | - | - | |
| SPI® Mid Cap | 20.20% | 8.18% | 10.27% | 12.11% | 28.77% | |
| SMIM® | 20.32% | 6.32% | 10.63% | 11.69% | 30.67% |
Source: justETF.com; As of 31/05/17; Calculations in CHF based on the largest ETF of the respective index.
Europe indices with a share of Switzerland
Besides Switzerland ETFs you may consider investing in ETFs on the European stock market. In total, you can invest in 3 Europe indices, which are tracked by 15 ETFs. The total expense ratio (TER) of ETFs on Europe indices is between 0.15% p.a. and 0.51% p.a..
| Index | Investment focus | Number of ETFs | Number of constituents | Short description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSCI Europe | Europe
Switzerland: 13.98% (31/10/2016) |
12 ETFs | 446 (31/10/16) |
The MSCI Europe (total return) index tracks the leading stocks from 15 European industrial countries.
Index factsheet |
| MSCI Europe ex UK | Europe
Switzerland: 19.61% (31/10/2016) |
1 ETF | 335 (31/10/16) |
The MSCI Europe ex UK index tracks the leading stocks from European industrial countries, excluding United Kingdom.
Index factsheet |
| STOXX® Europe 50 | Europe
Large Cap Switzerland: 20.90% (31/10/2016) |
2 ETFs | 50 |
The STOXX® Europe 50 (total return) index tracks 50 European large cap stocks.
Index factsheet |
| ETF ISIN |
Fund size in m CHF |
TER in % |
Use of profits | Fund domicile | Replication method | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iShares MSCI Europe UCITS ETF (Dist)IE00B1YZSC51 | 6,147 | 0.35% p.a. | Distributing | Ireland | Optimized sampling | |
| db x-trackers MSCI Europe Index UCITS ETF (DR) 1CLU0274209237 | 3,124 | 0.25% p.a. | Accumulating | Luxembourg | Full replication | |
| iShares MSCI Europe ex-UK UCITS ETFIE00B14X4N27 | 2,891 | 0.40% p.a. | Distributing | Ireland | Optimized sampling | |
| Lyxor MSCI Europe UCITS ETF D-EURFR0010261198 | 1,940 | 0.25% p.a. | Distributing | France | Unfunded swap | |
| Amundi ETF MSCI Europe UCITS ETFFR0010655696 | 1,248 | 0.15% p.a. | Accumulating | France | Unfunded swap | |
| iShares STOXX Europe 50 UCITS ETFIE0008470928 | 975 | 0.35% p.a. | Distributing | Ireland | Full replication | |
| Source MSCI Europe UCITS ETF AIE00B60SWY32 | 876 | 0.20% p.a. | Accumulating | Ireland | Unfunded swap | |
| iShares MSCI Europe UCITS ETF (Acc)IE00B4K48X80 | 691 | 0.33% p.a. | Accumulating | Ireland | Optimized sampling | |
| SPDR MSCI Europe UCITS ETFIE00BKWQ0Q14 | 646 | 0.25% p.a. | Accumulating | Ireland | Full replication | |
| UBS ETF (LU) MSCI Europe UCITS ETF (EUR) A-disLU0446734104 | 295 | 0.20% p.a. | Distributing | Luxembourg | Full replication | |
| iShares STOXX Europe 50 UCITS ETF (DE)DE0005933949 | 235 | 0.51% p.a. | Distributing | Germany | Full replication | |
| HSBC MSCI Europe UCITS ETF EURIE00B5BD5K76 | 208 | 0.20% p.a. | Distributing | Ireland | Full replication | |
| ComStage MSCI Europe TRN UCITS ETFLU0392494646 | 17 | 0.25% p.a. | Accumulating | Luxembourg | Unfunded swap | |
| db x-trackers MSCI Europe Index UCITS ETF (DR) 1DLU1242369327 | 17 | 0.25% p.a. | Distributing | Luxembourg | Full replication | |
| Amundi ETF MSCI Europe UCITS ETFFR0012857118 | 5 | 0.15% p.a. | Distributing | France | Unfunded swap |
| Index | 1 month in % |
3 months in % |
6 months in % |
1 year in % |
3 years in % |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STOXX® Europe 50 | 2.63% | 9.25% | 17.30% | 12.98% | 4.17% | |
| MSCI Europe | 2.26% | 9.41% | 16.91% | 14.14% | 7.91% | |
| MSCI Europe ex UK | 2.37% | 11.27% | 19.43% | 16.23% | 11.30% |
| Index | 2017 in % |
2016 in % |
2015 in % |
2014 in % |
2013 in % |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STOXX® Europe 50 | 10.87% | -0.19% | -3.90% | 3.96% | 18.68% | |
| MSCI Europe | 11.13% | 1.56% | -2.39% | 4.64% | 21.42% | |
| MSCI Europe ex UK | 13.08% | 1.40% | -0.12% | 4.48% | 23.95% |
Source: justETF.com; As of 31/05/17; Calculations in CHF based on the largest ETF of the respective index.