Alpine Region in February 2026: the most important developments in economy
In February 2026 the Alpine region's business news was dominated by large corporate deals and reorganisations. On 5 February mining groups Rio Tinto and Glencore abandoned their planned merger, which would have created the world's largest miner. Reports the next day said talks might yet be revived, with valuation and regulatory concerns cited for the collapse. By 19 February Rio Tinto had set out a growth strategy built on internal projects and smaller acquisitions. Earlier in the month a US-backed fund agreed to buy a stake in Glencore's copper and cobalt mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Nestlé was the second major story. Its new chief executive was reported on 4 February to be planning an overhaul to restart growth. On 19 February the company said it would sell its global ice cream business, including Häagen-Dazs, to Italy's Froneri. Nestlé also began layoffs in South Africa as part of a global restructuring.
Financial deals continued elsewhere. Zurich Insurance Group agreed to an 8 billion pound takeover of Beazley after raising its offer. Generali bought Swiss Life's employee benefits network, creating the world's largest player in that sector. Alphabet sought 9.4 billion dollars from bond sales in pounds and Swiss francs, and its debut in the Swiss market was expected to draw strong demand on 24 February. The Swiss Market Index passed 14,000 points for the first time, and Swiss Re reported a record annual profit with a cautious outlook.
In the last week of the month the United States proposed cutting the Swiss private bank MBaer off from the global financial system, and the US Treasury accused it of money laundering. Swiss regulators ordered the bank wound down on 27 February. Switzerland also announced a ban on Russian liquefied natural gas imports and froze about 880 million dollars in Venezuelan state assets. Germany, Switzerland and Austria urged the United States to pursue stable trade relations and avoid further tariff escalation. The Swiss economy was reported to have resumed growth, while Swiss watch exports fell again in January.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
Click a day in the chart above for that day's brief.