Swiss Equities May Profit from Low Interest Rates

Larry Smith, chief investment officer at Third Wave Global Investors, told CNBC’s “Street Signs” that interest rates in Switzerland are significantly lower than in the United Kingdom, creating an opportunity for investors.

“Short-term interest rates in Switzerland are 300 basis points lower than they are in the U.K.,” Smith said Wednesday. “What that means is positive surprises in local growth in Switzerland and negative surprises in local growth in the U.K. We see that in terms of earnings revisions, which are much more positive for Switzerland than they are for the U.K.”

He said the Swiss franc is weak while the British pound is strong.

“We look at equities separate from currencies and separate from bonds,” Smith explained. “In so doing, if you can invest in Swiss equity futures, they’re currency neutral."

He advised investors to "go long Swiss equity futures and go short in U.K. equity futures," adding that "there’s no currency involved in this -- you get the pure equity exposure, which I think is strongly in favor of Swiss companies.”