Swiss Market Ends On Firm Note

(RTTNews) - Save for a very brief while at the start of the session, the Switzerland stock market stayed positive on Thursday thanks to sustained buying at several frontline counters.

The benchmark SMI, which edged down to 13,403.78 at the start, climbed to a high of 13,635.13 around mid-afternoon and finally settled at 13,529.65, gaining 66.32 points or 0.49%.

VAT Group climbed nearly 4%. Richemont gained about 2.7%, while ABB and Novartis added 2.1% each. Galderma Group ended 1.1% up.

Kuehne + Nagel, Holcim, Lindt & Spruengli and Helvetia Baloise Holding advanced 0.6%-1%.

Roche closed 0.43% up. Roche announced that the FDA has granted priority review to its supplemental biologics license application, seeking approval for expanded use of adjuvant Tecentriq and Tecentriq Hybreza, in combination with FOLFOX6 chemotherapy.

The therapy is intended to serve as the adjuvant treatment for patients with stage III deficient DNA mismatch repair or microsatellite instability-high colon cancer.

Partners Group closed lower by 3% and Sonova drifted down 2.56%. Geberit, Sika, Straumann Holding and Logitech International shed 2%-2.1%.

Alcon, Lonza Group, Swisscom, SGS, Schindler Ps, UBS Group and Julius Baer also closed weak.