According to the data released today, Switzerland’s GDP increased by 0.9% in the fourth quarter, while the economists were looking only for 0.5% advance.

Analysts at Credit Suisse say that the report shows that there’s no imminent downturn in economic momentum in the months ahead. The specialists note that consumer demand, investment and trade of goods all expanded at a solid pace. Never the less, according to Credit Suisse, strong franc will seriously affect exports, so they see 2011 economic growth at rather moderate level of 1.9%.

Strategists at UniCredit called Swiss GDP advance in the fourth quarter “very strong” and raised 2011 forecast for the country’s economic growth from 1.8% to 2.5%. In their view, despite the strong rate of the national currency that’s negative for exports it's possible to suggest that Switzerland’s economic expansion will continue at the beginning of 2011.