Cash and cash equivalents amount to CHF 541 317 980 at the end of 2016 compared with CHF 398 747 988 at the end of 2015 and comprised cash in hand denominated mainly in euro and to a lesser extent in Swiss francs and British pounds.

Near-cash assets amount to CHF 406 293 900 at the end of 2016 compared to CHF 127 215 961 at the end of 2015 and includes short-term deposits with an original maturity between 90 and 365 days.