The stabilising effect of the minimum exchange rate against the euro played a major role in this development, with goods exports declining only slightly in the first quarter, in an international environment that remained weak, while exports of services rose. An improvement in consumer confidence encouraged a substantial increase in private consumer spending. However, GDP growth was also supported by temporary effects. Value added in the banking industry benefited from the optimistic mood on the financial markets during the first months of the year. In manufacturing and the hospitality industry, however, activity declined, underscoring the particularly negative impact of the strong Swiss franc on these industries. For the second quarter, we expect a significant slowdown in GDP growth. Since the global economy is expected to recover slowly, and the value of the Swiss franc is still high, the demand for exports is likely to remain subdued, even in the subsequent period. The high level of uncertainty and the pressure on profit margins are impacting negatively on corporate investment. Only because of the unexpectedly strong winter half-year does the SNB now expect growth of around 1.5% for 2012. Swiss inflation outlook The inflation outlook for Switzerland has remained largely unchanged from the monetary policy assessment in March. Since the fourth quarter of 2011, the annual inflation rate has been in negative territory. This is mainly attributable to a base effect, because last quarter the price level remained almost unchanged from the previous quarter.

In Europe, in particular, economic activity will be extremely weak on account of the financial and debt crisis. Switzerland will experience a significant economic slowdown over the rest of the year. Only because of the unexpectedly strong winter half-year does the SNB now expect growth of around 1.5% for 2012. The risks for the Swiss economic situation remain exceptionally high. The uncertainty about future developments in the euro area has again risen. If global activity proves disappointing or the turmoil on the financial markets increases, downside risks will again emerge for the economy and price stability in Switzerland. The imbalances in the Swiss residential mortgage and real estate markets increased further last quarter. Consequently, the SNB welcomes the Federal Council decision to make available a countercyclical capital buffer which can counter adverse developments on the domestic credit market. Global economic outlook Let us examine the economic outlook and the inflation prospects in a little more detail. In the first quarter of 2012, the global economy continued to grow at a moderate pace although this varied considerably from one region to another. The emerging economies were still making a major contribution to global growth. By contrast, overall momentum in the advanced economies was subdued, although here, too, differences from one country to another were considerable. Japan experienced strong growth in the first quarter due to a catch-up effect. In the US, momentum was moderate. In the euro area, a number of countries are in deep recession, while in Germany, GDP continued to expand strongly.