SIX's international custody business has surpassed the threshold of 1 trillion Swiss francs in international assets under custody for the first time - a record level. This was announced by SIX on Tuesday. According to the statement, strong demand was supported by the global market rally and the performance of the U.S. equity markets.

Together with the domestic custody business, SIX now holds a total of 7.2 trillion francs in assets under custody.

The main growth drivers were assets in the equity asset class, which saw an increase of 44 billion francs since the beginning of the year (+6 percent). The growth was distributed across foreign registered shares (+10 percent) and international ETFs (+5 percent). Other asset classes also posted notable gains: bonds in custody rose by 12 percent, while warrants/structured products increased by 31 percent.

USA and Germany with Significant Increases

The growth in assets in custody results from increased activity in the markets in which SIX operates. Significant increases in holdings were seen in the U.S. and Germany; in the United Kingdom, the rise is based on increasing activity in the ETF market. Growth is also supported by additional portfolios from new clients.

«This milestone is a testament to the success of our growth strategy in our international custody business,» says Rafael Moral Santiago, Head Securities Services and Executive Board Member, SIX.

SIX offers fully integrated international custody services covering all asset classes, including equities, bonds, funds, hedge funds and structured products.