Speaking at the annual media conference on Friday, ZKB CEO Urs Baumann pointed to the «excellent operational performance» in the past year. In addition, the bank had «continued to develop consistently.» He cited the more than 30'000 new customers gained last year as evidence of the high level of trust in ZKB — more than at the peak of the Credit Suisse crisis.

Baumann also emphasized ZKB’s strong market position in the Zurich economic region, where it is the leading bank for SMEs. Corporate lending increased by 5,3 percent over the course of the year to around 41 billion francs, and the bank’s market share among SMEs in the Zurich region stands at 50 percent.

No Credit Crunch

«To be clear, there is no credit crunch,» Baumann said when asked about lending conditions for companies. «Swiss banks’ lending volumes have grown steadily in recent years.» However, it is also true that credit conditions and costs have worsened for some companies. This is mainly due to the interest rate environment and refinancing costs.

«The zero-interest-rate scenario is actually the most difficult — more difficult than negative interest rates. With negative rates, you can act again,» the CEO said. Basel III has had no impact on ZKB’s lending activities.

80 Percent of Capital Deployed in the Region

«We are growing responsibly and in line with GDP development in the canton,» Baumann continued. ZKB uses risk-weighted assets (RWA) as its key benchmark. Around 80 percent of the bank’s capital is deployed in the Zurich economic region.

Baumann intends to stick to the current strategic direction. The organization is consistently structured around five business areas: Retail Banking, Private Banking, Corporate Banking, Institutionals & Multinationals, and Asset Management.

Growth at Frankly

Baumann is satisfied with the development of the digital platform Frankly, which he described as the fastest-growing wealth platform. Assets under management in the platform’s pension solutions have surpassed 5 billion francs.

ZKB has also introduced other new offerings, including digital assets, multibanking, and instant payments. The bank’s ambition, Baumann said, is to provide customers with the best possible digital and physical experience.

At the media conference, CFO Martin Brandenhewer highlighted ZKB’s financial strength. With a Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1) ratio of 21,2 percent, the bank ranks among the leaders even by international standards. «We have a strong position even without a state guarantee,» the CEO added.

In 2025, ZKB achieved a record pre-tax profit of 1,42 billion francs, an increase of just over 10 percent compared with the previous year.