Swissquote Bank Revenues for H1 2021 Exceed Expectations

(MENAFN- Mid-East.Info) Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Swissquote bank Ltd, a global provider of online financial and trading services, has announced that it has surpassed its initial forecasts in the first half of 2021, following the trend of the year 2020.

Overall, Swissquote recorded net revenues of CHF 264.4 million and a pre-tax profit of CHF 134.6 million. Compared to the prior-year period, net revenues increased by 64.5 percent and pre-tax profit by 130.4 percent. In the six-month period, 49,552 new client accounts were opened, and net new money inflow was CHF 4.9 billion. As of 30 June 2021, client assets reached a record level of CHF 50.2 billion. For the full year 2021, Swissquote is now targeting net revenues of CHF 465 million (initially: CHF 365 million) and a pre-tax profit of CHF 210 million (initially: CHF 130 million).

Revenues up by two thirds

Operating revenues reached a total of CHF 266.4 million – an increase of 63.7 percent compared to the previous year (CHF 162.7 million). When adjusted for negative interest rates (–CHF 2.4 million) and fair value adjustments (CHF 0.4 million), net revenues amounted to CHF 264.4 million, up 64.5 percent from CHF 160.7 million.

Fuelled by strong client and asset growth and a favourable market environment, trading activity was strong in all business areas and asset classes. Compared to the prior-year period, net fee and commission income climbed by 10.9 percent to CHF 87.1 million (CHF 78.5 million). Net crypto-assets income increased by 1,205.2 percent to CHF 63.2 million (CHF 4.8 million). The first half of the year has seen institutionals further adopt crypto-assets and bitcoin at levels reaching all-time highs. The strong trading activity across all asset classes resulted in a positive impact on net trading income, which also rose sharply by 1,446.0 percent to CHF 42.6 million. Net eForex income increased by 4.9 percent to CHF 63.0 million (CHF 60.0 million) on eForex volume of USD 816.4 billion (+18.3 percent). The interest business (CHF 10.5 million, down by 36.9 percent) continued to be characterised by a low interest rate environment, as the leasing business is not expected to reach critical size before next year.

Net profit more than doubled

At CHF 129.3 million, operating expenses were 26.9 percent higher than in the previous year (CHF 102.3 million). This rise is due to higher personnel expenses (+CHF 20.2 million), which increased mainly because of accruals for variable remuneration and more than 50 temporary positions hired to cope with the large number of customer requests.

Pre-tax profit rose by 130.4 percent to CHF 134.6 million (CHF 58.4 million), while the pre-tax profit margin reached 50.9 percent (36.4 percent). At CHF 116.4 million (CHF 50.4 million), net profit was up 130.9 percent year-on-year, with a net profit margin of 44.0 percent (31.4 percent).

The Basel III capital ratio is now at 24.3 percent (20.8 percent, +16.8 percent). Total equity increased by 32.2 percent to CHF 544.0 million (CHF 411.4 million).

New record high level of client assets

The net new money inflow hit a new record and came in at CHF 4.9 billion (H1 2020: CHF 3.0 billion). More than 40 percent of this purely organic growth was achieved with international customers. With the combination of positive markets, client assets grew by 50 percent to CHF 50.2 billion (CHF 33.5 billion). At the same time, the average deposit per customer continued to increase to CHF 109,265 (+29.3 percent) confirming Swissquote's position as a partner of choice for mass affluent customers.

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Swissquote MEA LTD

Based in the Dubai International Financial Centre, Swissquote MEA holds a category 3A license from the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA). The prestigious and innovative Swiss entity is paving the way for the future of online banking in the Middle East, offering multi-asset trading platforms, dedicated offshore banking and trading accounts for expatriates and company/institutional services.

Swissquote MEA is the only financial entity in the GCC region offering multi-currency offshore accounts without a minimum balance, as well as market-leading Forex rates and a credit card offering transactions in up to 12 currencies, making it a popular choice for financially savvy GCC-based expatriates.

In addition to its digital corporate and retail account services, Swissquote MEA offers numerous trading and investment benefits, including access to over three million financial products from stock markets across the world, as well as real time tools for analysis and research, themed investment portfolios, cryptocurrency trading, and online guidance and webinars for first-time investors.

Swissquote is a major brand partner of world-renowned English Premier League team Manchester United. The partnership was a natural choice, as both organisations have reached the top of their game through passion, teamwork and an unwavering commitment to excellence.

Swissquote – The Swiss Leader in Online Banking

As a leading provider of online financial services, Swissquote offers innovative solutions and analysis tools to meet the wide range of demands and needs of its clients. As well as various online trading services, the user-friendly platform also provides solutions for eForex, Robo-advisory and eMortgage. In addition to a low-cost service for private clients, Swissquote also offers specialized services for independent asset managers and corporate clients. Swissquote Bank Ltd holds a banking license issued by its supervisory authority the Swiss Federal Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) and is a member of the Swiss Bankers Association. Its mother company, Swissquote Group Holding Ltd, is listed on the Swiss stock exchange SIX (symbol: SQN).

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