Swiss private banks: assets under management at record high

Thanks to a positive trend on the financial markets, private banks increased their assets under management by 14 percent over the course of the past year. They now have CHF 3.4 trillion in assets under management – more than ever before.

While net new money of CHF 72 billion also contributed to growth, this figure was relatively low. The medium-sized private banks, in particular, were successful in their efforts to attract new client deposits.

“The new client advisors hired at UBS/CS, however, only had a limited impact on new money inflows,” says Christian Hintermann, study author and banking expert at KPMG Switzerland.

Private banks’ operating costs rose by more than CHF 500 million to roughly CHF 15.3 billion in 2024. The cost increase is mainly attributable to higher personnel costs of CHF 10.6 billion (+ CHF 347 million), which account for around two-thirds of total operating expenses. Private banks have reported more than 40,000 full-time equivalents for the first time.

Higher costs in combination with declining net interest income have caused private banks’ cost/income ratio to increase slightly, from 74.3 percent to just over 75.5 percent. Nearly two-thirds of the banks reported a higher cost/income ratio in 2024 than in the previous year, with small banks being the hardest hit.

Despite this increase, the cost/income ratio still remains at a historically low level thanks to very strong financial markets. This is likely to change in 2025, as interest rates will continue to decline and the market environment will become more challenging. “Since the advantages of the exceptional interest rate environment have disappeared and the SNB has lowered its policy rate to zero, banks now have to shift their focus back to their core commission-based business and think about how they can improve it,” says Hintermann.

While nearly two-thirds of banks recorded a decline in their return on equity, the median of 6.3 percent for this indicator still remains high (previous year: 7.4 percent). Lower interest rates hit small banks hardest – with their return on equity declining from 9.3 percent to 7.5 percent. Twenty-two banks generated a return on equity of more than 10 percent, including five of the eight big private banks (the “Big 8”). Nine banks generated losses and had a negative return on equity.

“Despite a higher return on equity, most private banks are unable to cover their cost of equity. The medium-sized bank segment, in particular, now faces the challenge of having to find the right business and operating model,” says Christian Hintermann.

That a clear strategic alignment is conducive to success is also confirmed by an analysis performed by the University of St. Gallen (HSG) within the scope of this study. It shows how geographical and product-based diversification impact Swiss banks’ performance. The most successful banks at present can be broken down into two categories: Firstly, those that are diversified both geographically and with respect to the products they offer. Secondly, focused local banks that primarily limit their activities to the Swiss market and a small selection of core services.

“To be successful in the current environment, Swiss private banks must either achieve a critical mass and breadth or else opt in favor of a focused niche strategy, where they can lead in terms of client proximity,” says Hintermann.

After remaining stable for three years, acquisitions in the second half of 2024 and first half of 2025 caused the number of private banks to decline further from 85 to 83. Due to announced transactions, the number is likely to fall below 80 by the end of 2025. That means the number of players has nearly halved in the past 15 years, down from 156.

At an international level, the industry’s Big 8 have used acquisitions and divestitures in Great Britain, Denmark and Brazil to further streamline their range of products and services and make them more competitive. Among others, these include Safra Sarasin’s acquisition of Saxo Bank, the largest transaction involving a private bank in the past ten years.

The expectation that the first year of additional regulatory requirements would trigger a large number of transactions in the independent asset management sector did not prove true.