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 2025 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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Founded in Australia in 2010, Pepperstone is a highly regarded broker specialising in forex and CFDs. Serving more than 400,000 clients globally, it provides access to over 1,300 financial instruments through popular platforms like MT4, MT5, cTrader, and TradingView. Its fee structure is both low and transparent. With regulation by reputable bodies such as the FCA, ASIC, and CySEC, Pepperstone guarantees a safe trading environment for traders at every level.
Instruments Regulator Platforms CFDs, Forex, Currency Indices, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Crypto (only Pro clients), Spread Betting FCA, ASIC, CySEC, DFSA, CMA, BaFin, SCB MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView, AutoChartist, DupliTrade, Quantower Min. Deposit Min. Trade Leverage $0 0.01 Lots 1:30 (Retail), 1:500 (Pro) -
Established in Poland in 2002, XTB caters to over a million clients worldwide. This forex and CFD broker offers a robust regulatory framework, a diverse range of assets, and prioritises trader satisfaction. It provides an intuitive proprietary platform equipped with excellent tools to support aspiring traders.
Instruments Regulator Platforms CFDs on shares, Indices, ETFs, Raw Materials, Forex currencies, cryptocurrencies, Real shares, Real ETFs FCA, CySEC, KNF, DFSA, FSC, SCA, Bappebti xStation Min. Deposit Min. Trade Leverage $0 0.01 Lots 1:30 -
Founded in 1989, CMC Markets is a reputable broker publicly listed on the London Stock Exchange. It holds authorisation from top-tier regulators such as the FCA, ASIC, and CIRO. The brokerage, which has received multiple awards, boasts a global membership exceeding one million traders.
Instruments Regulator Platforms CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Treasuries, Custom Indices, Spread Betting FCA, ASIC, MAS, CIRO, BaFin, FMA, DFSA Web, MT4, TradingView Min. Deposit Min. Trade Leverage $0 0.01 Lots 1:30 (Retail), 1:500 (Pro) -
FXCC, a well-established brokerage since 2010, offers cost-effective online trading. Registered in Nevis and regulated by CySEC, it is distinguished by its ECN conditions and absence of a minimum deposit requirement. The account opening process is efficient, taking under five minutes.
Instruments Regulator Platforms CFDs, Forex, Indices, Commodities, Crypto CySEC MT4, MT5 Min. Deposit Min. Trade Leverage $0 0.01 Lots 1:500 -
Founded in 1974, IG is a part of IG Group Holdings Plc, a publicly listed brokerage (LSE: IGG). The company provides spread betting, CFD, and forex trading, offering access to over 17,000 markets. Its platforms and investing apps are notably user-friendly. Over the past 50 years, IG has consistently been an industry leader, excelling in all essential areas for traders.
Instruments Regulator Platforms CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Futures, Options, Crypto, Spread Betting FCA, ASIC, NFA, CFTC, DFSA, BaFin, MAS, FSCA, FINMA, CONSOB, AFM Web, ProRealTime, L2 Dealer, MT4, TradingView, AutoChartist, TradingCentral, ProRealTime Min. Deposit Min. Trade Leverage $0 0.01 Lots 1:30 (Retail), 1:222 (Pro) -
Eightcap, an acclaimed broker regulated by the FCA, offers exceptionally low trading costs. Recognised as the top-rated brand by TradingView's vast user base of 100 million, traders can directly access the platform. UK traders can open a live account with a minimum deposit of just £100.
Instruments Regulator Platforms CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities ASIC, FCA, CySEC, SCB MT4, MT5, TradingView Min. Deposit Min. Trade Leverage £100 0.01 Lots 1:30 -
Established in 1999, FOREX.com is now integrated into StoneX, a prominent financial services entity catering to more than one million clients globally. The broker is regulated in numerous jurisdictions, including the US, UK, EU, and Australia. It offers a vast array of markets beyond forex, delivering competitive pricing on state-of-the-art trading platforms.
Instruments Regulator Platforms Forex, CFDs, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, Futures, Options, Crypto NFA, CFTC, CIRO, FCA, CYSEC, ASIC, SFC, FSA, MAS, CIMA MT4, MT5, TradingView, eSignal, AutoChartist, TradingCentral Min. Deposit Min. Trade Leverage $100 0.01 Lots 1:30 -
eToro is a leading multi-asset platform, providing trading services in a vast array of CFDs, equities, and cryptocurrencies. Since its establishment in 2007, eToro has attracted millions of traders worldwide and holds licences from top regulators like the FCA and CySEC. Its social trading platform is especially favoured. Investing in cryptoassets is highly volatile and unregulated in the UK and certain EU nations, with no consumer protection. Tax obligations on profits may apply. 51% of retail CFD accounts incur losses.
Instruments Regulator Platforms CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, ETFs, Smart Portfolios, Commodities, Futures, Crypto, NFTs FCA, ASIC, CySEC, FSA, FSRA, MFSA, CNMV, AMF eToro Web, CopyTrader, TradingCentral Min. Deposit Min. Trade Leverage $50 $10 1:30 -
Trade Nation is a leading FX and CFD broker regulated in the UK and Australia, among other places. The company provides competitively priced fixed and variable spreads on over 1,000 assets. Traders benefit from advanced platforms and comprehensive training materials. Additionally, the Signal Centre offers valuable trade ideas.
Instruments Regulator Platforms Forex, CFDs, Indices, Shares, Commodities, Futures, Bonds, Spread Betting, Cryptos (Bahamas Entity Only) FCA, ASIC, FSCA, SCB, FSA MT4 Min. Deposit Min. Trade Leverage $0 0.1 Lots 1:500 (entity dependent) -
Founded in 2008 and based in Israel, Plus500 is a leading brokerage with over 25 million registered traders across more than 50 countries. It focuses on CFD trading, offering a user-friendly proprietary platform and mobile app. The company provides competitive spreads and does not impose commissions or charges for deposits or withdrawals. Plus500 stands out as a highly trusted broker, licensed by respected authorities such as the FCA, ASIC, and CySEC.
Instruments Regulator Platforms CFDs on Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Futures, Options FCA, ASIC, CySEC, DFSA, MAS, FSA, FSCA, FMA, EFSA WebTrader, App Min. Deposit Min. Trade Leverage $100 Variable 1:30
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.
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.