EY Banking Barometer 2026 – (Re)action

The EY Banking Barometer 2026 shows a Swiss banking sector under increasing short-term pressure, but with remaining confidence in its long-term prospects.

EY Banking Barometer 2026

Findings from the study:

  1. Swiss banks face continuing margin pressure and rising costs, with the current sentiment deteriorating to the lowest level of the last 15 years but gradually improving in the short to long term.
  2. Stable credit quality, resilient SME lending, strong client base and weaker but still solid results support long-term confidence.
  3. Banks increasingly focus on cost discipline, AI-driven efficiency and revenue diversification to turn reaction into action in a more complex and unstable environment.

Authors: 
Christine Mengers,
Francesco de Gara,
Olaf Toepfer, Marcel Zünd

Publication: 
8 Jan 2026

Language: 
English, German and French

Number of pages: 
76

Document type: 
Study

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EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Limited is a Swiss company with registered seats in Switzerland providing services to clients in Switzerland.