PostFinance, profit down in the first half (cross-border guide)

Context

In a nutshell

• PostFinance closed the first half of the year with a net profit of CHF 103 million (-6.3%)
• Interest revenues fall by 10.6% due to difficult economic environment
• Customer equity grows by 3.3% to 117.5 billion; dynamic investments

Key facts

• What : PostFinance records a drop in profit and interest income in the first half of the year
• When: First semester (results published in official report)
• Where: Bern (registered office)
• Who: PostFinance, financial branch of Swiss Post
• Amount: CHF 103 million of net profit (-6.3% compared to the previous year)
• Interest income: CHF 285 million (-10.6%)
• Customer equity: 117.5 billion CHF (+3.3%)

PostFinance closes the first half with results under pressure: net profit fell to 103 million francs, marking a decrease of 6.3% compared to the same period of the previous year. The main cause lies in the decrease in revenues from interest-bearing transactions, the main source of income for the bank: these revenues decreased by 10.6%, stopping at 285 million francs. As highlighted in the report published today, the difficult economic environment weighs on the accounts of Swiss Post's financial branch.

Not all sectors suffered in the same way. The result of operations on commissions and services grew by 1.8%, reaching 171 million francs. Trading operations also showed a positive trend, with a

Operational details

What these numbers mean for Swiss savers

The decline in interest revenue-the most important item for PostFinance-is no coincidence. It reflects a macroeconomic context in which rates remain under pressure. When central banks such as the SNB maintain low or moderate benchmark rates, the interest margin (spread between the rate the bank pays on deposits and the rate it earns on loans) is compressed. For the Swiss saver, this means that the rates offered on current accounts and deposits remain limited.

However, the simultaneous increase in customer assets (+3.3%) is an interesting sign: despite low returns, customers continue to rely on PostFinance, and indeed the money deposited increases. This could indicate a rebalancing: many savers are shifting from simple deposits to managed investment products, where banks charge fees instead of interest margins.

Transforming revenue structure: from interest to commission

The data that emerges most clearly from PostFinance's results is a slow but structural transition. Revenues from interest decreased (-10.6%), but those from commissions (+1.8%) and trading (+3.9%) increased. This pattern reflects the global transformation of the banking sector: from 'passive' services (collecting deposits, earning the spread) to 'active' services (advisory, asset management,

Useful planning tools

To estimate your pension strategy, use the pension planner and the pillar 3 simulator.

Key points

How to manage your savings in this context

In the face of limited and uncertain interest returns and economic uncertainties, the Swiss saver has some concrete levers.

Deposit structure review. If the interest rates on current PostFinance accounts have become too low, it is worth comparing them with those offered by other banks through online comparators. Even differences of 0.1–0.2% on large deposits result in significant variations in annual returns. For small balances (under CHF 10,000), the differential may be smaller, but it remains useful to check.

Pension planning: LPP and pillar 3a. If the current account does not yield, pillar 3a is a path to explore. Contributions are deductible from federal and cantonal taxes, and the money grows tax-free for up to 5 years before retirement. For those earning a Swiss salary, it is an underutilized tool. PostFinance itself offers pillar 3a products, as do other banks and insurance companies. Calculate your pension planning to see the tax benefit.

Managed investments and BNS monitoring

Managed investments: opportunities and costs. PostFinance emphasizes that investment operations have been particularly dynamic in the first half of the year. This means that more and more customers entrust the management of their assets to the bank. Before choosing a managed account, check the annual management fees: differences of 0.3–0.5% per year can significantly erode returns over time. Always ask for an estimate of the effective fee (management fee + transaction fees + hidden costs).

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