International markets

Overview
Switzerland

Buy & trade Swiss shares

From Alcon to UBS Group... our guide to investing in the Swiss market

From Alcon to UBS Group - international investing at ii

Please remember, investment value can go up or down and you could get back less than you invest. The value of international investments may be affected by currency fluctuations which might reduce their value in sterling.

About the Swiss Stock Exchange

The Swiss Stock Exchange, or SIX Swiss Exchange, is Switzerland's main stock exchange with a market cap of CHF 1.6 trillion (2018). Its current form has existed since 1993 when the Geneva, Basel and Zurich exchanges merged - it soon became the first exchange in the world to use fully automated trading, clearing and settlement systems.

The main index is the SMI, or Swiss Market Index, which tracks the 20 largest companies on the exchange. Some of those include Zurich Insurance Group, Credit Suisse and Nestlé.

The SIX Swiss Exchange is open Monday through Friday from 9:00am to 5:30pm local time (GMT +2hrs).

How to buy Swiss shares with ii

To buy Swiss shares with ii, you will need to first open an account

From your account, simply select ‘trade now’ and ‘international’ to search for the shares you want to invest in. You will be prompted at this point to sign Exchange Agreements – this lets you access live international share pricing.

Please note that orders on Swiss shares can only be placed over the phone, please call 0345 607 6001.

Most popular Swiss shares

Below is a preview of the most purchased shares by ii customers over recent months.

Most purchased shares in H1 2024

Source: interactive investor. Note: the top 10 is based on the number of “buys” between 1 January and 30 June 2024.

Fees and charges

  • Our subscription plans start from £4.99 a month, which includes our Stocks and Shares ISA and Trading Account
  • If you are on our £11.99 a month Investor plan, we give you a £3.99 free trade credit every month – which can be used the cost of buying and selling towards international shares.
  • Additional non-US international trades cost £9.99.
  • Frequent traders can get reduced rates on non-US international shares with our Super Investor service plan.
  • There is a foreign exchange fee of 1.5% when you trade in pounds. This is reduced for transactions over £25,000. You can avoid paying this fee every time you trade by holding foreign currency in your account. Learn more

News and insights

IAG and easyJet among airline share tips for 2025

19 minutes agoGraeme Evans

Please remember: The value of your investments, and the income derived from them, may go down as well as up. You may not get back all the money that you invest. The value of international investments may be affected by currency fluctuations which might reduce their value in sterling. We may receive two elements of commission in relation to international dealing - Trading Commission and our FX Charge. Please see our rates and charges for full details of the relevant costs. Foreign markets will involve different risks from the UK markets. In some cases the risks will be greater.