Martin: Robust Capital Not a Disadvantage for Swiss Banks

Swiss National Bank Vice Chairman Antoine Martin recently spoke at an event in Basel, weighing in on the importance of robust capital levels for banks. According to Martin, having a high level of capital does not necessarily put banks at a commercial disadvantage compared to their rivals.

Martin pointed out that during the global financial crisis, banks with strong capital reserves were able to acquire struggling competitors. He believes that this is still an effective strategy in today's market environment.

In fact, Martin went so far as to suggest that Swiss banks should prioritize building up their capital buffers, even if it means taking market share away from foreign lenders who may be more vulnerable to future downturns.