BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - After a slightly weak start and a subsequent fall to lower levels, the Switzerland stock market regained some lost ground by noon, and despite edging higher gradually, failed to break into positive territory on Wednesday.
The benchmark SMI ended down 14.94 points, or 0.14%, at 10,299.22, after scaling a low of 10,231.78 and a high of 10,314.11 intraday.
On Tuesday, the index ended up 8.89 points, or 0.09%, at 10,314.16.
Credit Suisse and UBS Group declined 2.3% and 2.1%, respectively. Swiss Life Holding shed about 1.3% and Adecco ended lower by 1.2%.
Lonza Group shares gained nearly 2.75%. Nestle advanced 0.8%.
Among midcap stocks, Baloise Holding shed 2.6% after the company said its profit from its life business will be at least 200 million francs in 2019. OC Oerlikon Corp declined 2.17%.
Julius Baer ended 1.85% down, while Bucher Industries, Dufry, Georg Fischer and Dorma Kaba Holding lost 1.2 to 1.4%.
On the other hand, Barry Callebaut and Vifor Pharma gained 1.3% and 1.2%, respectively. Sonova, Swiss Prime Site, Straumann Holding and PSP Swiss Property ended with modest gains.
Sunrise Communications edged up slightly. The telecom group said it faces a hit of about 125 million Swiss francs from its failed bid to acquire Liberty Global's Swiss unit.
Most of the markets across Europe ended on the negative side today due to renewed uncertainty about a potential U.S.-China interim trade deal and concerns over the ongoing political unrest in Hong Kong.
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX