Switzerland’s KOF Economic Barometer fell sharply from 103.8 to 96.1 in March, missing expectations of 100.6 and pointing to a notable deterioration in growth momentum.
The decline reflects a broad-based slowdown, with both production and demand-side indicators weakening, suggesting that the economy is losing traction more quickly than anticipated.
The downturn is particularly evident in manufacturing and foreign demand, where indicator bundles showed a strong setback. Sub-components tracking exports, order backlogs, and the general business situation all came under pressure.
Within the producing sector, nearly all manufacturing sub-indicators deteriorated, with machinery, electrical equipment, metals, and paper industries showing pronounced weakness.
