Business Survey
Financial Services
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KOF Swiss Economic Institute ETH
Zurich, LEE F101, 8092 Zürich
www.kof.ethz.ch
Phone 044 632 43 26
Fax
044 632 13 52
fvu@kof.ethz.ch
Please note
Your responses should refer only to the branch named above
The questions refer to the activities of domestic branches
Do not use a red pencil
Tick the appropriate box
The notes are on the back of the sheet
Please return the questionnaire by the 15th of the month
Your responses are treated strictly confidential
Monthly Questions
1. Business situation
a) We judge our business situation overall as
good
satisfactory
b) Over the last 3 months*, our business situation has
improved
remained
unchanged
c) Over the next 6 months*, our business situation will
improve
remain unchanged
3. Employment
poor
deteriorated
deteriorate
2. Demand
a) Over the last 3 months*,
the demand for our services has
increased
remained
unchanged
b) Over the next 3 months*,
the demand for our services will
increase
Remarks
remain unchanged
a) We judge our employment as
too high
b) Over the last 3 months*,
employment has
increased
c) Over the next 3 months*,
employment will
increase
sufficient
too low
remained
unchanged
decreased
remain unchanged
decrease
4. Prices
decreased
decrease
Over the next 3 months, our prices will
increase
remained
unchanged
decrease
Turn over, please
Quarterly Questions
5. Technical capacities
We judge our technical capacities as
too high
sufficient
8. Operating expenses
too low
6. Obstacles
The main factors limiting currently our business are
(multiple answers possible)
none
shortage of space and/or equipment
decreased
increase
remain unchanged
decrease
b) Over the next 3 months*,
our operating expenses will
increased
remained
unchanged
decreased
increase
remain unchanged
decrease
b) Over the next 3 months*, our profitability will
financial constraints
other factors
10. Competitive position
7. Operating income
a) Over the last 3 months*, our operation income has
increase
remained
unchanged
a) Over the last 3 months*, our profitability has
shortage of labour force
b) Over the next 3 months*,
our operating income will
increased
9. Profitability
insufficient demand
increased
a) Over the last 3 months*, our operating expenses have
Over the last 3 months,
our competitive position has
remained
unchanged
decreased
remain unchanged
decrease
a) overall
improved
remained
unchanged
deteriorated
b) on the swiss market
* excluding purely seasonal variation
Many thanks for your participation
Explanations
General
Business surveys ask firms to estimate their own past and future business
position. The results of business surveys give projections of economic trends
and in particular of cyclical changes earlier than do official statistics. For the
purpose of delimiting the domestic financial market, answers should relate
only to the activities of domestic branches.
Your answers are treated strictly confidential. The results don’t allow conclusions to individual firms. The KOF ETH Zurich is governed by the Swiss
Federal Law of Statistics. (BStatG).
About the questions
Business situation: This question has been kept intentionally vague. The
business situation serves to depict the overall economic situation of the company. It is up to the answerer to decide whether he wants to assess this based
on the sales, profit, number of employees or a combination of these.
Demand: The number of customers on the one hand and the demanded
volume on the other hand are decisive.
Employment: Full-time equivalents are to be observed as far as possible.
Prices: If no prices are disposable, the rate of commission or of honorarium or
of tariff should be adapted. Net prices should be considered.
Technical capacities: This concerns the machinery and equipment, but not
the plant (property) itself, and includes machinery, devices, motor vehicles,
EDP infrastructure.
Performance barriers: Economic activities are never absolutely free, but
always limited by framework conditions. Therefore, only those barriers are
meant which surpass normal restrictions.
Revenue: Also EBIT, income prior to interest and taxes. Contrary to this,
amortisation and depreciation are not to be taken into account (EBITDA). If
figures are lacking, it is possible to specify an assumption.
Operating expenses: Expenditure or charges that are initiated by the activity
of the company in the field mentioned on the questionnaire.
Profitability: Takes into account both the volume and margin development
and therefore shows a topical image of the company’s profitability.
Competitive position: It is determined by production costs, innovation content,
quality, service as well as the economic and legal framework conditions.