SIX Swiss Exchange
SIX Swiss Exchange brokers give traders access to one of Europe’s largest stock exchanges, hosting some of the biggest European companies, including Nestle and Roche. In this 2024 guide, we cover how to trade on the SIX Swiss Exchange and the different instruments available. Our team also rank the top SIX Swiss Exchange brokers.
Best UK Brokers For SIX Swiss Exchange Trading
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AvaTrade is a leading forex and CFD broker, established in 2006 and regulated across 9 jurisdictions. Over 400,000 users have signed up with the broker which processes over 2 million trades each month. The firm offers multiple trading platforms, including MT4, MT5, and a proprietary WebTrader. 1250+ financial instruments are available for trading, alongside a comprehensive education center and multilingual customer support.
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Founded in 2002 in Poland, XTB now serves more than 935,000 clients. The forex and CFD broker combines a heavily regulated trading environment with an extensive selection of 5,600+ assets and a commitment to trader satisfaction, featuring an intuitive in-house platform with superb tools to support aspiring traders.
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Established in 1989, CMC Markets is a respected broker listed on the London Stock Exchange and authorized by several tier-one regulators, including the FCA, ASIC and CIRO. More than 1 million traders from around the world have signed up with the multi-award winning brokerage.
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Eightcap is an award-winning, FCA-regulated broker offering industry-low trading fees. They are also the highest-rated brand by TradingView’s 50 million-strong users, who can trade directly on the platform. UK traders can sign up for a live account with an accessible £100 minimum deposit.
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FXCC is an established broker that’s been offering low-cost online trading since 2010. Registered in Nevis and regulated by the CySEC, it stands out for its ECN trading conditions, no minimum deposit and smooth account opening that takes less than 5 minutes.
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Spreadex is an FCA-regulated broker that offers spread betting opportunities on an impressive 10,000+ CFD instruments including 60 forex pairs. Traders can also take short-term positions on sporting events. The brand has been around for over 20 years and has won multiple awards.
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Established in Australia in 2010, Pepperstone is a top-rated forex and CFD broker with over 400,000 clients worldwide. It offers access to 1,300+ instruments on leading platforms MT4, MT5, cTrader and TradingView, maintaining low, transparent fees. Pepperstone is also regulated by trusted authorities like the FCA, ASIC, and CySEC, ensuring a secure environment for traders at all levels.
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XM is a globally recognized forex and CFD broker with 10+ million clients in 190+ countries. Since 2009, this trusted broker has been known for its low fees on 1000+ instruments. XM is regulated by multiple financial bodies, including the ASIC and CySEC.
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Founded in 1999, FOREX.com is now part of StoneX, a financial services organization serving over one million customers worldwide. Regulated in the US, UK, EU, Australia and beyond, the broker offers thousands of markets, not just forex, and provides excellent pricing on cutting-edge platforms.
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eToro is a top-rated multi-asset platform which offers trading services in thousands of CFDs, stocks and cryptoassets. Launched in 2007, the brand has millions of active traders globally and is authorized by tier one regulators, including the FCA and CySEC. The brand is particularly popular for its comprehensive social trading platform. Cryptoasset investing is highly volatile and unregulated in the UK and some EU countries. No consumer protection. Tax on profits may apply. 76% of retail CFD accounts lose money.
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RoboForex is an online broker, established in 2009 and registered with the IFSC in Belize. Traders can choose from five accounts (Prime, ECN, R StocksTrader, ProCent, Pro) catering to different needs with trades from 0.01 lots and spreads from 0 pips. RoboForex has also enhanced its offering over the years, adding CFD instruments and launching its stock trading platform, plus the CopyFX system.
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InstaForex is a forex and CFD broker founded in 2010. The broker offers diverse market coverage to millions of clients, spanning traditional assets like currencies and shares, as well as other interesting opportunities such as IPOs.
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Trade Nation is a top FX and CFD broker regulated in multiple jurisdictions including the UK and Australia. The firm offers low-cost fixed and variable spreads on 1000+ assets with robust trading platforms and training materials. The Signal Centre can also be used for trade ideas.
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Founded in 1974, IG is part of IG Group Holdings Plc, a publicly traded (LSE: IGG) brokerage. The brand offers spread betting, CFD and forex trading across an almost unrivalled selection of 17,000+ markets, with a range of user-friendly platforms and investing apps. For 50 years, IG has maintained its position as an industry leader, excelling in all key areas for traders.
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Founded in 2006, FxPro is an established forex, CFD and spread betting broker offering 2100+ assets to over 2 million clients worldwide. The broker is regulated in 4 jurisdictions and offers reliable 24/5 customer support, earning it a high trust and safety score. FxPro has also picked up more than 100 industry accolades for its competitive trading conditions, including fast execution and deep liquidity.
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Established in 2008 and headquartered in Israel, Plus500 is a prominent brokerage that boasts over 25 million registered traders in over 50 countries. Specializing in CFD trading, the company offers an intuitive, proprietary platform and mobile app. It maintains competitive spreads and does not charge commissions or deposit or withdrawal fees. Plus500 also continues to shine as one of the most trusted brokers with licenses from reputable regulators, including the FCA, ASIC and CySEC.
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M4Markets is an award-winning broker regulated by the CySEC, FSA and DFSA. Although relatively new, the broker continues to improve its offering with a range of innovative tools, platforms and accounts. Beginners can start with just $5, whilst experienced investors can access leverage up to 1:5000.
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Trade.com is a trustworthy online broker with a global presence. The broker offers 2,100+ CFDs in major markets, as well as futures, options and more. The broker offers best-in-class platforms and superior analysis tools for experienced traders. The broker is also regulated by top-tier authorities including the FCA and CySEC.
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IronFX is a multi-regulated forex and CFD broker founded in 2010. This award-winning firm offers 500+ markets to over 1.5 million clients across 180 countries. Traders can access various account types with competitive pricing on the MT4 platform, as well as 24/5 customer support in 30 languages.
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Scope Markets offers trading and investing in multiple spot and CFD instruments. The group of brokers is regulated in several locations, including Belize, Kenya and South Africa. Users get competitive trading conditions, a range of payment methods, strong support and can get started in a few straightforward steps.
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Dukascopy is an online broker operated by a Swiss-regulated banking group. It offers a good selection of 500+ markets, with forex, stocks, gold, ETFs, indices, bonds and cryptocurrencies available. It also offers flexible trading opportunities through the choice of CFDs or binary options. Traders will use MetaTrader 4 or a proprietary platform that is well-suited to automated trading.
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Launched in 2017, Videforex offers access to stock, index, crypto, forex and commodities markets via binary options and CFDs. The proprietary platform, mobile app and integrated copy trading are user-friendly and will suit new and casual traders, and the market analysis tools and trading contests provide good ways to improve your trading skills.
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SimpleFX is an online broker specializing in CFD and cryptocurrency trading, with multi-currency accounts, STP execution, low pricing and no minimum deposit. Bringing innovation and gaining recognition at numerous industry events since 2014, SimpleFX now caters to retail traders from over 190 countries, boasting a client base exceeding 200,000 active users.
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ActivTrades is a UK-headquartered CFD and forex broker established in 2001. The brokerage is heavily regulated with licenses from the FCA, SCB, CSSF, BACEN & CVM and CMVM. Over 1000 CFDs are available spanning 7 asset classes. Over 93.60% of orders are executed at the requested price. ActivTraders also offers a selection of leading trading platforms, including MT4, MT5, TradingView and ActivTrader platforms.
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Swissquote is a Switzerland-based bank and broker that offers online trading and investing. The company has a high safety score and is listed on the Swiss stock exchange. The firm offers a huge range of products, from stocks, ETFs, bonds and futures to 400+ forex and CFD assets. Hundreds of thousands of traders have opened an account with the multi-regulated brokerage. Clients can get started in three easy steps while 24/7 customer support is available to assist new users.
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Fortrade is a multi-asset, multi-regulated broker with branches regulated by the FCA, CySEC and ASIC among others. The brand offers trading opportunities on a wide range of instruments including stocks, bonds, commodities, forex, indices, cryptocurrencies and ETFs, with competitive fees and support for MetaTrader 4 and a proprietary platform.
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Admirals is an FCA- and ASIC-regulated broker with an excellent range of leveraged instruments, including forex, stocks, indices, ETFs, commodities, cryptos and more. The broker supports the MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5 and TradingCentral platforms. With both spread betting and CFDs available and thousands of instruments, this broker provides more flexibility than most rivals.
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Established in 2013, SuperForex is an offshore CFD and forex broker offering highly leveraged trades on 400+ instruments via the popular MetaTrader 4 platform. The broker has gained clients in over 150 countries and is regulated by the Belize IFSC. With a range of STP/ECN account types, including swap-free, micro and zero spread, this broker continues to suit traders with different styles and setups. SuperForex also offers a range of welcome bonuses and trading contests.
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Capital.com offer CFDs on a range of markets with competitive spreads and zero commissions. The broker also offers the Investmate app, negative balance protection and leveraged trading.
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Trading 212 is a European and UK-regulated CFD broker that also offers stock investing and ISAs. It’s best known for its commission-free trading model and beginner-friendly app, which has helped it attract 2.5 million users and £3.5 billion in client assets.
Choosing SIX Swiss Exchange Brokers
Below, we cover the key factors to consider when comparing SIX Swiss Exchange brokers:
Instruments
The assets and product types that each brokerage offers are different. For example, if you are looking to trade through an HSBC investment account then you can gain direct access to buying equities on the Swiss Exchange.
On the other hand, if you are looking for CFD trading then you could look towards a broker like Pepperstone, which offers SMI 20 CFD instruments. Contracts for difference are popular with short-term traders looking to go long or short on a market with leverage.
Fees
Fees can quickly add up and diminish any profits when investing on the SIX Swiss, or indeed any, exchange and brokers charge fees differently. Some firms charge through commissions on trades, others through wider spreads and swap fees.
However, finding a broker with the cheapest fees may come at the price of limited safety features or fewer additional services. Therefore, you should try to find a broker that offers all your required features with the lowest fees.
For example, on the SMI index, AvaTrade levies a 2.0 spread over the market. 1:10 leverage is available and the instrument can be traded on MT4 and MT5.
Platforms
The platform is where you will spend time executing trades and managing your portfolio. Some SIX Swiss Exchange brokers, such as IG, offer advanced investing features through bespoke platforms, as well as third-party platforms like MetaTrader 4. These give users plenty of technical tools to implement more complex trading strategies and analyse a range of markets.
Finding the platform that suits your style will be key to enhancing your investing experience. Most top SIX Swiss Exchange brokers offer free demo accounts to allow you to practise using their platforms within a virtual environment. This is a great way to test platforms and firms without risking capital.
Regulation
SIX Swiss Exchange brokers that are overseen by strict regulatory bodies are recommended. This is especially true for those regulated by top agencies like the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) of the UK.
Regulated brokers must follow strict rules that protect their clients from scams, fraud and financial foul play.
Negative balance protection, compensation schemes and segregated funds are key features that you should look for to maximise your safety when choosing SIX Swiss Exchange brokers.
What Is The SIX Swiss Exchange?
The SIX Swiss Exchange is Switzerland’s main stock exchange and is based in Zurich. The exchange is completely owned by the SIX Group, an unlisted public limited company owned by 122 financial institutions and banks. It was formerly known as the SWX Swiss Exchange.
The exchange came about after the Geneva Stock Exchange, Basel Stock Exchange and Zurich Stock Exchange merged in 1993. The SIX Swiss took over trading in 1995 and was the first to use automated trading, clearing and settlement.
SIX Swiss Exchange brokers facilitate the trading of stocks and other securities like derivatives and Swiss government bonds within and beyond Switzerland. The exchange uses the Swiss franc (CHF) as its base currency and has a market capitalisation of roughly £993 billion in 2023.
The SIX Swiss Exchange is the 12th largest exchange in the world by market cap.
History
The current SIX Swiss Exchange came about due to the culmination and merging of multiple exchanges.
The first Swiss exchanges were created in the 1850s with the founding of the United Brokers Association. The trading floor opened in 1855 and the Basler Borse followed in the next couple of decades in Basel and Zurich. The Berne Exchange was then founded in 1884. Other smaller exchanges also opened up in these decades.
Exchanges were mostly closed in Switzerland during the First World War, apart from bond trading in Geneva. Later, after the Great Depression, new federal banking laws were introduced that ensured greater due diligence and permission to do banking activities by the FINMA. As a result, Swiss exchanges had to unite under a securities exchange association to set up a registration office.
After the Second World War, exchange trading banking fees were unified and revenues hit highs during the 1950s. In 1993, the Geneva Stock Exchange, Basel Stock Exchange and Zurich stock exchange merged into the SWX Swiss Exchange.
In the late 1990s, the Swiss exchange was dominated by food, pharmaceutical and financial companies. The dot-com bubble bursting had a heavy impact on Swiss stocks, causing indices to tumble more than 20% compared to the country’s previous peaks.
In 2007, the SWX Group, SIS Group and Telekurs Group announced their merger into the Swiss Financial Market Services AG. The merger happened in 2008, with the company being renamed SIX Group AG. This was also when the SWX Swiss Exchange changed its name to the SIX Swiss Exchange.
SMI Chart
Market Segments
Over 60,000 securities are available on the SIX Swiss Exchange across a range of products, including equities, bonds, ETFs, ETPs, structured products, mutual funds and sponsored funds. The exchange also has a host of indices, which track different collections of financial instruments.
The SIX Swiss Exchange hosts two of the three largest blue chips in Europe, alongside 20 cryptocurrencies and over 250 crypto products.
- Equities – There are over 250 major equities available, including Nestle, Roche and Novartis.
- Bonds – There are more than 2,100 international bonds admitted to trading on the Swiss Stock Exchange, including straight bonds, floating-rate notes, convertibles, asset-backed securities and loan participation notes.
- ETFs – Its first ETF was listed in 2000, with around 1,600 now available from 27 issuers.
- ETPs – Available on the exchange since 2010. Stock and commodity ETPs are available, as well as the newly introduced cryptocurrency ETPs.
- Mutual Funds – The investment funds segment gives you access to over 500 mutual funds, with a wide selection of focuses, including biotechnology, dividends and volatility.
- Structured Products – Over 50,000 structured products are listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange. The exchange ensures products that have passed through the SER (SIX Exchange Regulation) can be traded on the exchange.
Note, online brokers do not typically offer access to all of these products.
Indices
SIX Swiss Exchange brokers may offer a selection of indices covering various categories. These include equity, bond, strategy, real estate and customised indices. The most impactful of these are the SMI, the Swiss Market Index, and the SPI, the Swiss Performance Index.
- SPI – The Swiss Performance Index is a total-return index that follows the equities on the SIX Swiss Exchange that have a free float of at least 20%. This covers large, mid and small-cap companies and weights them by market capitalisation. It is the most followed performance index of the SIX Swiss Exchange.
- SMI – The Swiss Market Index is Switzerland’s blue-chip stock market index. It tracks the 20 largest and most liquid Swiss Performance Index stocks. These stocks make up 85-90% of the total SIX Swiss Exchange trading turnover.
Largest Stocks
The SIX Swiss Exchange hosts some of the largest European companies by market cap:
- Nestle – Approx £168 billion
- Novartis – Approx £150 billion
- Roche – Approx £156 billion
- Richemont – Approx £64 billion
- Zurich Insurance – Approx £59.4 billion
- UBS Group – Approx £56 billion
- ABB Ltd – Approx £44 billion
- Lonza – Approx £36 billion
- Sika – Approx £35 billion
- Holcim – Approx £28 billion
Trading Hours
The SIX Swiss Exchange trades on Central European Time (CET), GMT +1. This changes to CEST (GMT +2) during the Summer months.
Each trading day lasts from 06:00 to 22:00 CET, Monday through Friday. However, active trading opens at 09:00 am and closes at 17:40 pm (CET). There is also a post-trading period between 18:15 pm to 22:00 pm (CET).
Note that not all SIX Swiss Exchange brokers facilitate the post-trading period, thus opening hours may vary.
SIX Swiss Exchange Market Holidays
The SIX Swiss Exchange generally has nine market holidays, including New Year’s Day, Easter, Labour Day, Christmas and St. Stephen’s Day. In 2023, these are:
- New Year’s Day – January 2
- Good Friday – April 7
- Easter – April 10
- Labour Day – May 1
- Ascension Day – May 18
- Pentecost – May 29
- National Day – August 1
- Christmas – December 25
- St. Stephen’s Day – December 26
Note, the exact dates may change from year-to-year.
Bottom Line On The SIX Swiss Exchange
The SIX Swiss Exchange is an important European exchange and is home to some influential stocks. Its prominence in the extended European and Western markets makes it a prime exchange for UK investors. Furthermore, there is a wide range of available assets, extending from indices, ETFs and shares to newly-conceived crypto-based ETPs.
Refer to our list of the best SIX Swiss Exchange brokers to start trading.
FAQ
Can UK Investors Trade On The SIX Swiss Exchange?
Yes, there are UK brokers that provide access to SIX Swiss Exchange financial instruments. There are a limited number of brokers that provide direct access to buying and selling stocks on the exchanges, mostly comprising banks and financial institutions like Barclays Capital, Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan Securities.
However, there are online brokers that provide CFD trading opportunities, including those of the popular SMI indices, like Pepperstone and IG Index.
What Are The Most Popular SIX Swiss Exchange Indices?
The most popular indices of the SIX Swiss Exchange are the SPI and its derivative indices (particularly the SMI). The Swiss Performance Index is the most popular, tracking equities with a free float of over 20%. It is a total-return index covering companies of small, mid and large caps and is weighted by market capitalisation. It is used as a benchmark for many ETFs, index funds and mutual funds and as an underlying index for many derivative contracts.
The Swiss Market Index is Switzerland’s blue-chip stock market index, following the 20 largest SPI stocks. These companies represent approximately 70% of the free float Swiss equity market capitalisation and is thus a popular index to follow.
What Are The SIX Swiss Exchange Trading Hours?
The SIX Swiss Exchange runs on CET or CEST (GMT +1 / GMT +2). The main opening hours are 08:00 to 16:40 GMT, while post-trading hours run from 17:15 to 21:00 GMT.
What Is The Best SIX Swiss Exchange Broker?
There is no best broker that will suit every trader’s needs. If you are looking to speculate via index CFDs then you can trade with online SIX Swiss Exchange brokers like Pepperstone. However, firms offer different trading platforms and fee structures. Use our guide to find the right brokerage with access to the SIX Swiss Exchange for your needs.
How Many Market Holidays Does The SIX Swiss Exchange Have?
The SIX Swiss Exchange typically has nine market holidays, including New Year’s Day, Labour Day and Christmas. Switzerland-specific holidays are also included, like the Swiss National Day. See our article for a list of all SIX Swiss Exchange market holidays.