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The Swiss asset management industry is surprisingly resilient to change and enjoys top-notch conditions. A strong specialization helps asset managers to stay ahead of their competitors.

A study recently published by the Institute of Financial Services at University of Lucerne together with the Asset Management Platform Switzerland does away with a string of prejudices about Swiss asset management.

For instance, the question about the industry relevance: asset managers in Switzerland are managing 2.2 trillion Swiss francs ($2.2 trillion) in client assets. Private banks by contrast have some 2 trillion francs under management in Switzerland, according to a recent study by Deloitte.

The industry has about 9,600 people working directly in asset management, with services such as auditing, marketing and sales, the workforce includes some 45,000 people.

Net New Money Inflow

The second prejudice often mentioned in respect to the industry is a lack of performance culture. The study authors say that the opposite is true: assets under management by 12 percent last year, with 5 percent growth in net new money, as deduced from the average performance of 7.6 percent of Swiss pension funds.

The Swiss asset management industry is dominated by the active managers – four out of five are active. Three out of four asset managers charge a performance fee in addition to the regular management fee.