The Swiss market closed with a firm finish on Friday, with stocks gradually making a comeback after an unsettled start. They eventually entered the positive zone in the second-last hour of the trading session.
Investors, however, still showed caution due to escalating Middle East tensions and uncertainty surrounding the Federal Reserve's forecasted interest rates.
The benchmark Swiss Market Index (SMI), which dipped to 11,127.42 at the beginning of the day, concluded with an increase of 65.97 points or 0.59%, standing at 11,296.40, the day's peak.
Financially speaking, Nestle saw a 2.15% growth. Swisscom, Givaudan, Zurich Insurance Group, and Novartis experienced gains ranging from 1.2% to 1.5%.
The pharmaceutical giant, Roche Holding, advanced close to 1%. Other companies such as ABB, Alcon, and Swiss Life Holding also ended on a positive note.
On the downside, Geberit's shares dropped 2.72%. Sika also closed almost 2% down, while Lonza Group, Logitech International, and Partners Group ended the day down by 1.45%, 1.2%, and 1.16%, respectively.
Kuehne & Nagel and Richemont shares also closed considerably lower.
On the Mid Price Index, Tecan Group rallied more than 3.5%. Sandoz escalated by 2.82%, and Meryer Burger Tech closed 2% higher. Barry Callebaut saw a gain of approximately 1.25%.
In contrast, shares of VAT Group, Georg Fischer, and Temenos Group fell between 2.2 and 2.8%. Clariant, Straumann Holding, Baloise Holding, and Swatch Group ended the day almost 1% down.
