Omega at the Torino Olympics 2006
Omega has a long history with the Olympic Games
Update (link added) Biel-Bienne, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Gross sales in 2009 were down 6.3 percent for the Swatch Group, which 9 February published audited figures in advance of its March annual meeting, but it gained significant market share. The group notes that the overall sales figure for the Swiss Watch Federation were down 21.3 percent. The watch segment of the group’s business had “a very convincing operating margin” which contributed to the 17.6 percent increase in operating margin for the year.
The group puts 2009 into perspective against a backdrop of an outstanding 2008, the 2009 global economic crisis and unfavourable exchange rates. But 2010, it says, is off to a good start, with January sales the highest on record for that month, and orders strong. Swatch’s Omega brand as the Vancouver Olympics timekeeper is expected to give group sales a boost.
Roche head office, Basel
Basel, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Pharmaceutical multinational Roche says its turnover fell by 22 percent in 2009 compared to 2008 due to charges linked to its purchase of US company Genentech. Operating profits rose by 14 percent before the exceptional charges, however, and the company had record sales, up 10 percent to CHF49.1 billion.
Biel/Bienne, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Swatch reported in an upbeat mood Wednesday morning 20 January that 2009 turned out to be its third-best year on record and that unexpectedly strong sales in December made it the company’s best-ever December. Orders on the books for 2010 plus expected growth in middle class consumer spending in developing markets lead the company to predict continuing sales growth this year.
Gross sales for 2009 were CHF5.42 million, down only 6.3 percent at constant exchange rates. Sales in the second half of the year exceeded, although just barely, 2008 sales for the same period, making up for a weak first half of the year.
Basel, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Pharmaceuticals multinational Roche reports sales for the first nine months of 2009 up 11 percent in local currencies and 9 percent in Swiss francs, with both its pharmaceutical and diagnostics divisions outperforming the market, the company says. Sales rose by CHF3.1 billion to 36.4 billion. The company has revised upwards its forecast for growth in 2009, to “at least high single-digit full-year sales growth for [the] pharmaceuticals division; full-year 2009 sales in both divisions expected to grow well ahead of market.”
Elbikon, Switzerland (Le Temps, Fre) – Swiss elevator (lift) company Schindler is laying off 36 people and turning to a common Swiss economic downturn solution, partial employment, the Lucerne-based company announced 28 April, Tuesday.
Vevey, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - Sales at multinational Nestlé, based in Vevey, slipped by 2.1 percent to CHF25.2 billion and organic growth was 3.8 percent, down from 10 percent in 2008. The company says the results are in line with forecasts and confirm expected full-year results for 2009. Sales were pulled down by acquisitions, -0.7 percent, and the strength of the Swiss franc, with a negative 5.7 percent impact.
