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United Kingdom & Europe Stock Loans FINMA CHF

Switzerland Stock Loans against SIX shares

A stock loan against shares you hold on Switzerland’s principal equity venue — for family offices, founders and controlling shareholders, without selling a single share.

01 · Process
How it works

From enquiry to funding.

StageWhat happensTiming
01Confidential enquiryThe holding and the objective, shared under NDA through a secure channel.Day one
02Indicative termsStructure, sizing and indicative pricing returned against the position.1–2 days
03Structuring & documentationKYC, share and market review; terms formalised under institutional documentation alongside your counsel.1–2 weeks
04Custody & fundingPledged shares held at a qualified custodian; collateral secured and proceeds released.On completion
02 · The Market
United Kingdom & Europe

Switzerland equity markets.

A Swiss stock loan lets a founder, family office or controlling shareholder raise cash against a position listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange without selling it, without surrendering voting control, and while remaining the beneficial owner until the facility is repaid. The Swiss franc floats freely and is fully convertible — the Swiss National Bank abandoned its EUR floor in 2015 — so a CHF-listed line supports a USD or EUR drawdown cleanly, which is how most cross-border borrowers take the loan.

What shapes a Swiss facility is the disclosure regime and the concentration of the market. Under Article 120 of the Financial Market Infrastructure Act (FMIA), an interest reaching 3% of a Swiss-domiciled listed company’s voting rights is notifiable to the company and to SIX’s Disclosure Office, with further thresholds at 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 33⅓%, 50% and 66⅔%; the security interest a lender takes can itself trigger a notification, so the pledge is sequenced around it. Liquidity is rarely the constraint for SMI and SLI constituents — the large pharmaceutical, food and financial names — where free float and turnover support a higher loan-to-value; it weighs more on thin small-caps and Sparks-listed lines. Shares settle T+2 through SIX SIS.

Switzerland stock loans at a glance:

Listed venueSIX Swiss Exchange (SIX)
RegulatorEidgenössische Finanzmarktaufsicht (FINMA)
CurrencyCHF
SettlementT+2
Disclosure threshold3%
Principal indicesSMI, SLI, SPI
StructureNon-recourse, limited- or full-recourse

Regulatory references are published for general orientation and are not legal advice.

04 · FAQ
Switzerland · Stock Loans

What holders ask about Switzerland.

01Does a share pledge in Switzerland have to be disclosed?
It can. Under Article 120 FMIA, an interest reaching 3% of a Swiss-domiciled listed company’s voting rights is notifiable to the company and to SIX’s Disclosure Office, generally within four trading days, and the security interest a lender takes can itself be a disclosable position. We map the exact threshold and timing to your holding before anything is executed, and sequence the pledge around it.
02Can I borrow in US dollars or euros against Swiss-listed shares?
Yes, and most cross-border clients do. The Swiss franc floats freely and is fully convertible, with no peg since the National Bank removed its euro floor in 2015, so a USD or EUR facility drawn against a CHF-listed line is straightforward to structure. We set out the hedging, settlement and tax points expressly in the documentation.
03How much can I borrow against Switzerland-listed shares?
The loan-to-value is set to your holding — its free float, daily traded volume, volatility, and your own regulatory standing. A large-cap with deep free float supports a higher LTV than a thin mid-cap, and a non-recourse structure runs lower than a full-recourse one on the same stock. We quote indicative ratios only after reviewing the position.
04Which Switzerland exchanges can I borrow against?
We cover SIX Swiss Exchange (SIX). Financing is arranged against shares listed there; which venue applies depends on the issuer’s primary listing and how the holding trades.
05What currency can the facility be drawn in?
The default is CHF, the listing currency. Cross-currency structures — drawing a USD or EUR loan against the position — are common, and bring hedging, settlement and tax points we set out expressly in the documentation.
06Who regulates these transactions in Switzerland?
Eidgenössische Finanzmarktaufsicht (FINMA) is the principal regulator. Black Haven Investments lends as principal; lending and any regulated activity are conducted by, or through, appropriately licensed or registered entities in the relevant jurisdiction.
07What is the settlement cycle on Switzerland exchanges?
Equities listed on SIX Swiss Exchange (SIX) generally settle on T+2. The settlement cycle governs when the pledge over the shares is perfected and the loan can be drawn, so we align the funding mechanics to it.
08At what level does a shareholding become disclosable in Switzerland?
The principal threshold is 3%, under FMIA Art. 120 overseen by FINMA. Crossing it — in either direction — triggers a notification, and a pledge can itself be relevant; we map the exact levels to your holding before anything is executed.
09Can a foreign or offshore holder pledge Switzerland-listed shares?
Generally yes. The shares sit with a qualified custodian and are pledged to secure the facility; any foreign-ownership limits or registration requirements turn on the issuer and sector, and we check them against your specific line at the structuring stage.
10How long does it take to arrange a stock loan in Switzerland?
Indicative terms typically follow within one to two business days of a confidential enquiry. Documentation and funding usually complete within about three weeks, depending on custody onboarding and the size of the position.
05 · Adjacent Markets
United Kingdom & Europe

Countries adjacent to Switzerland.

United Kingdom · Europe (Euronext) · Germany · Italy · Spain · Sweden · Finland · Denmark · Poland · Austria · Norway · Turkey

All countries →

A particular Switzerland holding to talk through?

Send a confidential enquiry, and a senior principal will reply within one business day.