The BAK Basel Institute, Bank Sarasin, Zuercher Kantonalbank,  and the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs might lower their 2012 forecasts after a government report today showed that GDP fell 0.1 percent from the first quarter, when it rose 0.5 percent, less than the 0.7 percent previously reported. That’s the first drop since the third quarter of 2011, when the Swiss National Bank imposed a franc ceiling to help protect the economy.
SNB President Thomas Jordan yesterday reiterated his commitment to defend the franc ceiling with the “utmost determination” amid signs the economy is faltering as the euro area’s deepening slump and waning global growth erode export demand. Bruno Parnisari, head of the state secretariat’s economic policy, said in an interview the government may need to cut its 2012 outlook in new projections on Sept. 18.
“The risk for the full-year forecast has increased,” Parnisari said by telephone from Bern. The June forecast of 1.4 percent growth “seems a little bit optimistic at this stage. Up to August, we don’t have any clear signs of economic improvement.”

SNB Ceiling

The franc traded at 1.2010 against the euro at 11:52 a.m. in Zurich, little changed on the day. It was at 95.31 centimes versus the dollar. The benchmark Swiss Market Index dropped for the first time in three days, declining 0.7 percent.
Economists had forecast growth of 0.2 percent in the second quarter, the median of 16 estimates in a Bloomberg News survey showed. From a year earlier, GDP rose 0.5 percent, less than the 1.6 percent economists had expected. First-quarter annual GDP growth was revised to 1.2 percent from 2 percent.
The third quarter of 2011 was also revised lower to show a contraction, followed by an expansion of 0.4 percent in the subsequent three months, suggesting the franc ceiling of 1.20 versus the euro introduced in September to stem a surge in the currency to a record helped stabilize the economy.
“Switzerland has weathered the crisis relatively well, but not as well as previously thought,” said Alexis Koerber, a senior economist at the BAK Basel Institute, which will lower its 2012 growth forecast from 1.5 percent. “It could be difficult” to reach growth of more than 1 percent, he said.

European Confidence

Swiss gross fixed capital formation including construction spending stalled in the second quarter after rising 0.2 percent in the previous three months, the GDP data showed. Exports of goods excluding precious metals, jewelry and antiques dropped 0.7 percent after falling 0.5 percent in the first quarter.
In the 17-member euro area, the destination for about two thirds of Swiss exports, the economic slump is deepening with at least five nations in recession and Germany showing increasing signs of slowdown. Euro-area manufacturing output shrank more than initially estimated in August, economic confidence slumped and German unemployment increased.
The European Central Bank forecast in June that the euro- area economy will shrink 0.1 percent this year. The central bank will publish new forecasts after a meeting of policy makers on Sept