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Swissquote

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Swissquote Group Holding Ltd
TypePublic limited company
SIX Swiss Exchange SQN
ISINCH0010675863
IndustryBanking
Founded2000[1]
FounderMarc Bürki and Paolo Buzzi
HeadquartersGland, Switzerland
Key people
Marc Bürki (CEO), Alexandru Craciun (CTO), Morgan Lavanchy (CLO), Gilles Chantrier (CRO), Yvan Cardenas (CFO), Nestor Verrier (COO), Jan De Schepper (CSO), Tara Yip (CPO)
ProductsTrading, Investment and Banking
724.2 million CHF (2025)[2]
366.4 million CHF (2025)[2]
Total equity1,402.6 million CHF (2025)[2]
Number of employees
1,448[2] (2025)
Websitewww.swissquote.com

Swissquote Group Holding Ltd is a Swiss banking group specialising in providing online financial services in trading, investment and banking. Its headquarters are in Gland, Switzerland, and its shares have been listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange under the ticker symbol "SQN" since 29 May 2000. Since September 22, 2025, Swissquote has been a component of the SMI MID index.

Swissquote Bank Ltd holds a banking licence issued by the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA).[3] As of 31 December 2025, Swissquote reported client assets of CHF 88.7 billion across 750,089 customer accounts and had 1,448 employees.[2]

History

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1990–2017

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In 1990, Marc Bürki and Paolo Buzzi founded Marvel Communication SA, a company specialising in financial software applications. The company served as the precursor to Swissquote, which was established in 1996 as a financial platform offering private investors real-time access to securities traded on the Swiss exchange.[4][5]

On 29 May 2000, Swissquote went public on the SIX Swiss Exchange under the symbol SQN. In the same year, the company obtained its banking licence.[6][7][8]

In 2009, Swissquote created a chair in quantitative finance at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL).[9] In 2010, it acquired Tradejet AG and ACM Advanced Currency Markets AG, expanding its operations to include online Forex trading.[10][8][5][11] In 2012, Swissquote partnered with Goldman Sachs and UBS to launch the Swiss Derivatives OTC Trading System (Swiss DOTS). Commerzbank joined the platform in 2014, followed by Deutsche Bank in 2015.[8]

In September 2013, Swissquote acquired MIG Bank, a firm specialising in Forex trading.[12][13]

In January 2015, following the Swiss National Bank's decision to discontinue the minimum exchange rate of 1.20 CHF per euro, Swissquote set aside a reserve of CHF 25 million.[14] On 9 February 2015, Swissquote Financial Services surrendered its Category 3 Investment Services Licence to the Malta Financial Services Authority.[15]

2018 – present

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In August 2018, Swissquote acquired the Luxembourg-based Internaxx Bank SA to expand its access to the European market. Following regulatory approval by the European Central Bank and the CSSF in Luxembourg, the company was renamed Swissquote Bank Europe SA and became a fully owned entity of the Swissquote Group.[16][17][18]

In 2019, the company expanded in the Asia-Pacific region by opening Swissquote Singapore Pte.[19]

In April 2021, Yuh Ltd. was founded as a joint venture between Swissquote Bank AG and PostFinance AG.[20] In July 2025, Swissquote acquired PostFinance's remaining 50% stake, taking full ownership of Yuh.[21] The deal implied a CHF 180 million valuation for Yuh.[22]

In October 2022, Swissquote launched a crypto exchange, SQX, and gained access to the Dubai Financial Market.[23][24]

In May 2023, Swissquote partnered with investment firm Stableton and Morningstar Indexes to launch an actively managed certificate (AMC) targeted at Swiss retail investors.[25]

In 2024, Swissquote introduced fractional share trading for retail investors.[26] It also expanded its collaboration with BNP Paribas' Securities Services business.[27]

Operations

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Swissquote provides online banking, investment and trading services, including trading in equities, funds, bonds, warrants, options and futures, as well as foreign exchange and cryptocurrency-related services.[28]

Business model

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Vontobel Equity Research described Swissquote as a scalable platform business with revenue that is more diversified than that of typical online brokers, with major sources including net fee and commission income, net interest income and income from cryptocurrency trading.[29]

While Swissquote advertises commission-free trading (excluding share CFDs), its spreads and swap charges have been described as higher than some competitors, and it also imposes additional quarterly fees, custody fees for private customers, and fees for withdrawals.[30][31]

Swissquote reported operating income of CHF 724.2 million and net profit of CHF 366.4 million for 2025, compared with CHF 664.3 million and CHF 294.2 million in 2024.[2][28] The increase reflected higher trading activity, the full consolidation of Yuh, and growth in fee and trading income, while crypto income remained almost unchanged at CHF 85.7 million despite lower crypto trading volume.[32]

Sponsorship

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From January 2015 to May 2021, Swissquote was the official partner of Manchester United.[33][34]

By 2020, the company became the official sponsor of the Swiss ice Genève-Servette HC (GSHC).[35] In 2021, it became the official sponsor of the ZSC Lions.[36][37]

In 2021, the company signed a three-year sponsorship deal with UEFA, covering the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Europa Conference League.[38] In February 2024, UEFA announced a renewal of the partnership through 2027.[39]

In December 2024, Swissquote, along with its joint venture Yuh, was announced as an Official National Partner for the UEFA Women's EURO 2025, set to be held in Switzerland.[40][41]

In January 2026, Yuh announced a four-year agreement to become the main sponsor of BSC Young Boys' men's first team from the 2026/27 season, with Swissquote appearing on the team's shirts in international competitions.[42][43][44]

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In November 2019, the Geneva public prosecutor opened a money-laundering investigation into the Helin group, a tax-fraud network exposed in the "Dubai Papers" reporting, whose funds were held at Swissquote through an omnibus account opened by the Puerto Rico–based Blue Ocean International Bank. Swissquote had reported the account to the authorities and the related client accounts were frozen; the inquiry also covered the bank's role in hosting the funds.[45][46][47]

In January 2023, the Sanctions Commission of SIX fined Swissquote CHF 75,000 for a negligent breach of ad hoc publicity rules; the company did not appeal.[48]

In July 2025, Swissquote said FINMA had asked it to reduce the volume of suspicious activity reported on its platforms, particularly the Yuh app, amid a rise in fraud attempts and hacking directed at the company; the bank said its systems had not been compromised.[49]

See also

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References

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  1. "Registre du commerce". prestations.vd.ch. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Swissquote Group Holding: ANNUAL REPORT 2025".
  3. Skinner, Celeste (2019-07-08). "Are Swiss Brokers Benefitting from ESMA's Measures?". Finance Magnates. Retrieved 2024-12-11.
  4. Grundlehner, Werner (2021-05-07). "Swissquote: 25-jährig, erfolgreich, überlastet". Neue Zürcher Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 2021-11-12.
  5. 1 2 Baumann, Claude (2021-08-05). "Swissquote Captures Financial Zeitgeist". finews.com. Retrieved 2026-03-01.
  6. "Swissquote entre en Bourse et prépare sa banque Internet - Le Temps" (in French). 2000-04-26. ISSN 1423-3967. Retrieved 2025-01-28.
  7. "SWISSQUOTE N". SIX (in German). Retrieved 2021-11-12.
  8. 1 2 3 Nikolova, Maria (2017-03-31). "This day in history: Swissquote announces plans to go public". Finance Feeds. Retrieved 2024-12-08.
  9. "Swissquote Chair in Quantitative Finance". EPFL. Retrieved 2025-01-28.
  10. "Swissquote rachète son concurrent Tradejet". www.ictjournal.ch (in French). 2010-06-08. Retrieved 2025-01-28.
  11. "Swissquote Flags Renewed Surge in Profits". finews.com. 2021-06-16. Retrieved 2021-11-11.
  12. Mizrahi, Avi (2014-07-22). "Swissquote Reports Revenue Growth in H1, but Drop in Profits Due to MIG M&A". Finance Magnates. Retrieved 2024-11-15.
  13. Segal, Gerald (2013-11-05). "Swissquote acquisition of MIG Bank – $70 million". Leap Rate. Retrieved 2024-11-15.
  14. "Swissquote" (PDF).
  15. "Surrender of Licence by Swissquote Financial Services (Malta) Limited". MFSA. 2015-02-09. Retrieved 2024-12-08.
  16. "Swissquote Aims to Double Profit by 2024". finews.com. 2021-03-18. Retrieved 2021-11-11.
  17. "Swissquote acquires Luxembourg-based Internaxx bank". Luxembourg Times. 2018-08-07. Retrieved 2024-12-08.
  18. "Swissquote buys Luxembourg's Internaxx ahead of Brexit". Luxembourg Times. 2019-05-23. Retrieved 2024-12-08.
  19. "Swissquote in Asia Expansion Bid". finews.com. 2019-03-08. Retrieved 2025-01-28.
  20. "Postfinance und Swissquote bringen neue Banking-App namens Yuh". 20 Minuten (in German). 2021-05-04. Retrieved 2025-01-28.
  21. "Postfinance Bids Farewell to Yuh". finews.com. 2025-07-07. Retrieved 2026-03-02.
  22. "Swiss online bank Swissquote acquires full ownership of Yuh finance app in CHF 180m deal". M&A Insights. 2025-07-04. Retrieved 2026-06-22.
  23. Oladipupo, Solomon (2022-10-25). "Swissquote Gains Access to Securities Listed on Dubai Financial Market". Finance Magnates. Retrieved 2024-12-08.
  24. Shome, Arnab (2022-10-04). "Swissquote Launches Crypto Exchange SQX". Finance Magnates. Retrieved 2024-12-08.
  25. Oladipupo, Solomon (2023-05-15). "Swissquote Supports Launch of Unicorn-Focused Product for Retail Investors". Finance Magnates. Retrieved 2024-12-08.
  26. Shome, Arnab (2024-10-22). "Swissquote Enables Fractional Shares Trading". Finance Magnates. Retrieved 2024-12-10.
  27. "Swissquote selects BNP Paribas as their custodian to benefit from integrated execution-to-custody services". BNP Paribas. 2024-05-13. Retrieved 2024-12-08.
  28. 1 2 "Swissquote Group Holding: Annual report 2024" (PDF). Swissquote. Retrieved 2026-03-01.
  29. "Company Report: Swissquote" (PDF). Vontobel Equity Research. 2025-09-25. Retrieved 2026-03-02.
  30. "Swissquote Review 2024". FXEmpire. 2024-05-13. Retrieved 2024-12-11.
  31. "Swissquote Review". Moneyland.ch. Retrieved 2024-12-11.
  32. "Swissquote Is Bullish with 2026 Revenue Outlook, but Cautious on Profits". Finance Magnates. 2026-03-19. Retrieved 2026-06-24.
  33. "Man Utd News | Team news, injury updates, transfers, new signings".
  34. "Man Utd sign Swissquote as forex trading sponsor". Reuters. 2015-01-26. Retrieved 2026-03-01.
  35. Segal, Gerald (2020-09-16). "Exclusive: Swissquote sponsors Genève-Servette Hockey Club". FX News Group. Retrieved 2025-01-28.
  36. Segal, Gerald (2023-07-24). "Swissquote extends sponsorship of ZSC Lions hockey to 2026". FX News Group. Retrieved 2025-01-28.
  37. Nikolova, Maria (2021-07-21). "Swissquote becomes official sponsor of ZSC Lions". FX News Group. Retrieved 2025-01-28.
  38. "Swissquote signs three-year UEFA Europa League and UEFA Europa Conference League partnership". UEFA. 2021-09-01. Retrieved 2026-03-01.
  39. "UEFA and Swissquote renew partnership". UEFA. 2024-02-27. Retrieved 2026-03-01.
  40. Islam, Arif (2024-12-13). "Uefa adds Lidl and Swissquote as 2025 Women's Euro sponsors". SportsPro. Retrieved 2025-01-28.
  41. "UEFA Women's EURO 2025 adds Swissquote and Yuh as Official National Partners". UEFA. 2024-12-12. Retrieved 2026-03-01.
  42. "Yuh becomes main partner of BSC Young Boys from 2026". Fintech News Switzerland. 2026-01-14. Retrieved 2026-06-22.
  43. "BSC Young Boys mit neuem Hauptsponsor". persoenlich.com (in German). 2026-01-14. Retrieved 2026-06-22.
  44. "After Taking Full Control of Yuh, Swissquote Brings the App to Young Boys' Shirts". Finance Magnates. Retrieved 2026-06-22.
  45. Michel-Aguirre, Caroline (2019-11-28). "INFO OBS. Dubai Papers scandal splashing Switzerland's first online bank" (in French). Le Nouvel Obs. Retrieved 2024-12-08.
  46. Besson, Sylvain (2019-11-28). "Swissquote sperrt Konto mit verdächtigen Offshore-Geldern" (in German). Tages-Anzeiger. Retrieved 2024-12-08.
  47. Besson, Sylvain (2019-11-28). "La justice enquête sur des soupçons d'évasion fiscale chez Swissquote" (in French). Tribune de Genève. Retrieved 2024-12-08.
  48. "Fine against Swissquote Group Holding SA". SIX Exchange Regulation. 2023-01-06. Retrieved 2026-03-01.
  49. "Swissquote Ordered by Regulator to Slash Suspicious Activity". Swissinfo. Bloomberg. 2025-07-02. Retrieved 2026-03-01.