FAQs

What is the Swiss Helvetia Fund?
The Swiss Helvetia Fund, Inc. is a non-diversified, closed end investment company that invests in equity and equity-linked securities of Swiss companies. The Fund also may acquire and hold equity and equity-linked securities of non-Swiss companies in limited instances.
How can I buy shares of the Fund?
Shares of the Fund trade in the secondary market similar to a regular stock. They are not continuously issued or redeemed like shares of an open-end fund; hence they must be bought through your broker and cannot be purchased directly from the Fund. The shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "SWZ".
Does the Fund pay any distributions?
The Fund distributes to stockholders, at least annually, substantially all of its net investment income and net realized capital gains. Distributions are made in cash or in common stock with the option to receive cash. The Fund will not declare dividends payable in common stock until any dilution resulting from the Fund's prior practice of declaring common stock dividends at a time when its common stock was trading at a discount to net asset value has been eliminated through the repurchase of the Fund's common stock at times when the Fund's net asset value exceeds its market price.
Click here for the distribution history of the Fund.
What type of the currency exposure does the Fund have?
The Fund's equity investments are denominated in Swiss francs. The cash and short-term investments are generally held in Swiss francs as well. The investment policy of the Fund is not to hedge the exposure to the Swiss Franc. As a result, investors in the Fund are fully exposed to fluctuations in the value of the Swiss franc relative to the U.S. dollar.
How do changes in the U.S. dollar / Swiss franc exchange rate affect the Fund's Net Asset Value?
The Fund benefits if the U.S. dollar weakens against the Swiss franc because the Fund's Net Asset Value (NAV) increases once translated (daily) into U.S. dollars. The market price of the Fund may not react to the same extent because it is by definition exposed to market forces (supply and demand of the stock). The market price movement may not reflect the NAV movements, hence the presence of a market price discount/premium to NAV.
Where can I get additional information about the Fund other than what is found on this website?
Morningstar provides information about the Fund, including certain considerations such as volatility measurements and other statistical risk measures for the Fund. You will find information following this link:
Morningstar
What is the Fund's performance?
Please follow this link: Performance

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The Fund is a closed-end investment product. Common shares of the Fund are only available for purchase/sale on the NYSE at the current market price. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Performance data quoted represents past performance. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor's shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted.
All Investments, domestic and foreign, involve risks including the risk of possible loss of principal. The market value of a fund's portfolio may decline as a result of a number of factors, including adverse economic and market conditions, prospects of stocks in the portfolio, changing interest rates, and real or perceived adverse competitive industry conditions. In addition, the Fund invests in restricted securities and other investments that may be illiquid, which hold the risk that the securities will not be able to be sold at the time desired by the Fund. The Fund is classified as "non-diversified" under the 1940 Act. A non-diversified fund has the ability to invest more of its assets in securities of a single issuer than if it were classified as a "diversified" fund, which may increase volatility.
Trading in Swiss equities involves certain risks and special considerations not usually associated with investing in securities of established U.S. companies, including risks related to the nature of the market for Swiss equities, including the risk that the Swiss equities markets may be affected by market developments in different ways than U.S. securities markets and may be more volatile than U.S. securities markets; political and economic risks with respect to Switzerland, including the possible imposition of, or changes in, currency exchange laws or other Swiss laws or restrictions applicable to investments in Swiss equities; and fluctuations in the rate of exchange between currencies and costs associated with currency conversion. The Swiss securities markets have substantially less trading volume than the U.S. securities markets. Additionally, the capitalization of the Swiss securities markets is highly concentrated. Securities of some companies located in Switzerland will be less liquid and more volatile than securities of comparable U.S. companies. This combination of lower volume and greater concentration in the Swiss securities markets may create a risk of greater price volatility than in the U.S. securities markets.
The market price of common shares of the Fund will be based on factors such as the supply and demand for common shares in the market and general market, economic, political or regulatory conditions. Whether shareholders will realize gains or losses upon the sale of common shares of the Fund will depend on the market price of common shares at the time of the sale, not on the Fund’s net asset value. The market price may be lower or higher than the Fund’s net asset value. Shares of closed-end funds frequently trade at a discount or premium to their net asset value.
Schroder Investment Management North America Inc. ("SIMNA Inc.") is an investment adviser registered with the U.S. SEC.

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