In the first six months of the current year, Bank WIR achieved a profit of 13,4 million francs, representing a slight increase of 0,9 percent compared to the same period last year, according to financial results published on Friday.

Although gross interest income rose by 5,3 percent to 38,4 million francs, net interest income fell by 8,1 percent to 36,9 million francs compared to the previous year.

Continued Growth in Lending

Lending volumes continued to grow. Mortgage loans increased by 2,1 percent to just under 5,1 billion francs. This highlights the bank’s strong position as a financier of construction and real estate, especially as a partner to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the bank stated.

Decline in Customer Deposits

By the end of the first half of the year, customer deposits had decreased slightly by 2 percent to just under 4,6 billion francs compared to the end of 2024. The bank attributes this primarily to the expiration in March of the «Sparkonto plus 2024» savings product.

Commission and service income rose significantly by 21 percent to 11,2 million francs. This result primarily reflects the strong performance of VIAC, which is part of Bank WIR, according to the cooperative bank.

Personnel costs increased while operating expenses declined. Overall, operating expenses dropped by 0,9 percent to 33,1 million francs. Operating profit fell by 10 percent to 16,0 million francs.

«Primary Bank for SMEs»
The bank positions itself as the «primary bank for the Swiss SME sector», offering low and transparent fees, competitive interest rates, and digital solutions. The results support this strategy, the bank said.

«In a challenging environment, we achieved a pleasing operational result,» commented CEO Matthias Pfeifer. «Our growth, with its consistent focus on security and stability, can be considered sustainable.»

Looking ahead to the second half of 2025, Pfeifer expects a continued challenging market environment, especially in the interest business. «In this context, our consistently pursued diversification strategy is paying off,» he added.