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PostFinance is undergoing fundamental change: society – and with it, banking – is becoming increasingly digital, bringing about fundamental changes in customers’ needs and behaviour. At the same time, PostFinance is suffering badly from the current negative interest rate environment due to the ban on issuing its own loans and mortgages.

In the first three months of 2018, PostFinance generated operating profit (EBIT) of 96 million francs, 140 million francs less than the result recorded during the same period the previous year. The decline is mainly due to one-off items last year and significantly lower income from the interest differential business. This development is in line with expectations created by the persistently low interest rates on the money and financial markets, and the trend is set to continue.

PostFinance is promoting young Swiss sporting talent in its role as a main partner of www.ibelieveinyou.ch/en, the first crowdfunding platform exclusively for Swiss sport. Already at the end of March 2018, the 1,000th project has been able to benefit from this commitment.

PostFinance will be updating its banking software over the 2018 Easter weekend (29 March-2 April 2018). Some services will therefore be unavailable or only available on a restricted basis for 2.9 million customers during this period. The market leader in Swiss payment transactions is laying the foundations for further digitization of its business through this migration.

In the year under review 2017, Swiss Post generated profit of 420 million francs. In the previous year, this figure was 558 million francs. The annual result was significantly influenced by the irregular accounting practices in segment accounting at subsidiary PostBus Switzerland Ltd, which were first reported in February.

It's payday for Swiss junior ice hockey: the 23 PostFinance Top Scorers in the National League and the Swiss League have earned a total of 251 200 francs for their clubs' junior teams in the 2017/2018 qualifying round.

Over the past few weeks, discussions took place between PostFinance and its two social partners with signing rights (the staff association transfair and the trade union syndicom) to define the precise structure of the framework conditions for this transition to another section of the company.

If you receive an unsolicited call from someone posing as an employee of a Windows support company, you are dealing with a fraudster. End the call immediately.

PostFinance has set up a virtual assistant on its website – the first Swiss financial institution to do so. The chatbot is available around the clock and generates automatic replies to customers’ most frequently asked questions. It was developed by the IT service provider ELCA.

In the first nine months of 2017, Swiss Post achieved Group profit of 516 million francs, which represents an increase of 50 million francs year-on-year. The operating profit of 699 million francs was 106 million francs up on the prior-year figure.

PostFinance’s 2017 consultation process is now complete. The Executive Board is maintaining the four measures planned for 2018. Discussions are currently in progress with the social partners regarding the cushioning measures.