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Private company

Zurich Cantonal Bank

Logo: Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons4

Largest cantonal bank in Switzerland

Zurich Cantonal Bank (German: Zürcher Kantonalbank, or ZKB) is the largest cantonal bank and fourth largest bank in Switzerland, with total assets of over CHF 150 billion. ZKB, as an independent, incorporated public-law institution, is wholly owned by the canton of Zürich. Ultimate supervision of ZKB is the responsibility of the Cantonal Council of Zürich, whose duties are laid down in Zürich's Cantonal Bank Act.2 It employed 5,173 people in 2016.1 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

Feb 15, 1870Founded1
  • Industryfinancial sector, financial service activities, except insurance and pension funding1
  • HeadquartersZurich1
  • Founded inZurich1
  • Websitewww.zkb.ch/en
  • Legal formAnstalt des öffentlichen Rechts1
  • LEI165GRDQ39W63PHVONY023
  • StatusActive3
  • LEI statusIssued and current3
  • Registered addressBAHNHOFSTRASSE 9, 8001 Zurich, Switzerland3
  • Registered withMinistry of Justice, CHE-108.954.6073

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Bahnhofstrasse Zürcher Kantonbank
Photo: Roland zh, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons6

Zurich Cantonal Bank (German: Zürcher Kantonalbank, or ZKB) is the largest cantonal bank and fourth largest bank in Switzerland, with total assets of over CHF 150 billion.2

Corporate structure

Zurich Cantonal Bank sits at the top of its group. 317 entities, 4 countries on record. Switch between the flow chart and the network, and select any entity to see its details.

  • Zurich Cantonal Bank Zurich, Switzerland
    • Zürcher Kantonalbank Österreich Subsidiary · Salzburg, Austria
    • Complementa AG Subsidiary · St. Gallen, Switzerland
    • Swisscanto Fondsleitung AG Subsidiary · Zürich, Switzerland
      • AEI Fonds - Arete Ethik Global Balanced (CHF) Fund · Zürich, Switzerland
      • AEI Fonds - Arete Ethik Global Equity (CHF) Fund · Zürich, Switzerland
      • Allianz Global Investors Schweiz Fonds - Allianz Diversified Swiss Equity Fund · Zürich, Switzerland
      • BCJ (CH) - Fonds BCJ Balancé Fund · Zürich, Switzerland
      • BCJ (CH) - Fonds BCJ Défensif Fund · Zürich, Switzerland
      • BEKB L-QIF Immobilien Nachhaltig Schweiz indirekt Fund · Zürich, Switzerland
      • BEKB L-QIF Immobilien Schweiz indirekt Fund · Zürich, Switzerland
      • BLKB Selection (CH) - BLKB Bond CHF Fund · Zürich, Switzerland
      • BLKB Selection (CH) - BLKB Equity Europe ex CH Fund · Zürich, Switzerland
      • BLKB Selection (CH) - BLKB Equity North America Fund · Zürich, Switzerland
      • BLKB Selection (CH) - BLKB Equity Switzerland Fund · Zürich, Switzerland
      • BLKB Selection (CH) - BLKB Equity Switzerland Focus Fund · Zürich, Switzerland
      • GKB (CH) BZ Aktien Schweiz Small & Mid Cap Fund · Zürich, Switzerland
      • Pax (CH) Fonds - Pax (CH) Sustainable Bond CHF Fund · Zürich, Switzerland
      • Pax (CH) Fonds - Pax (CH) Sustainable Equity Global Fund · Zürich, Switzerland
      • Pax (CH) Fonds - Pax (CH) Sustainable Equity Infrastructure Europe Fund · Zürich, Switzerland
      • Suva Einanlegerfonds Fund · Zürich, Switzerland
      • SWISSCANTO (CH) - SWISSCANTO (CH) BOND MARKET TRACKER WORLD (EX CH) GOVERNMENTS H CHF Fund · Zürich, Switzerland
      • SWISSCANTO (CH) BOND FUND INTERNATIONAL (III) Fund · Zürich, Switzerland
      • Swisscanto (CH) ESGeneration ETF - Swisscanto (CH) ESGen SDG Index Equity Switzerland ETF Fund · Zürich, Switzerland
      • Swisscanto (CH) Index Fund IV - Swisscanto (CH) Index Fund Gold Smart Sourcing & Traceable Fund · Zürich, Switzerland
      • Swisscanto (CH) Index Fund V - Swisscanto (CH) Index Bond Fund Total Market AAA-BBB 1-5 CHF Responsible Fund · Zürich, Switzerland
      • Swisscanto (CH) Index Fund V - Swisscanto (CH) Index Equity Fund Europe (ex CH) Responsible Fund · Zürich, Switzerland
      • Swisscanto (CH) Index Fund V - Swisscanto (CH) Index Real Estate Fund World (ex CH) indirect Fund · Zürich, Switzerland
      • SWISSCANTO (CH) INSTITUTIONAL FUND SÄULE 2 - PORTFOLIO GREEN INVEST Fund · Zürich, Switzerland
      • and 286 more
    • ZKB SECURITIES (UK) LTD Subsidiary · London, United Kingdom
    • ZÜRCHER KANTONALBANK FINANCE (GUERNSEY) LIMITED Subsidiary · St Peter Port, Guernsey

Built from parent and subsidiary links from GLEIF, the Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation (CC0); subsidiaries, stakes and holdings from Wikidata (CC0). Each entity in the chart links to its source.

What it owns

What Zurich Cantonal Bank reports owning in its annual reports to the SEC: buildings, land and equipment, real estate and locations, investments, intangible assets and inventory, at the end of its latest fiscal year and a year before.

Stakes and holdings (Wikidata)

Things Wikidata records the company as owning, with the share when stated.1

The story

The Zurich Cantonal Bank was founded in 1870 as "bank of the citizens of Zürich" following an initiative of Johann Jakob Keller (1823–1903), then member of the cantonal council of Zürich. The canton of Zürich provided the necessary endowment capital and appointed the senior governing bodies. The public service mandate and the corresponding social and political responsibility were established by law.

In October 2009, Global Finance magazine rated ZKB at one of the five safest banks in the world, on the basis of it being one of only five financial institutions that enjoyed a triple Standard & Poor's, Fitch and Moody's AAA/Aaa rating globally.

In November 2013, Zürcher Kantonalbank was classified as a systemically important bank in Switzerland by order of the Swiss National Bank, alongside UBS, Credit Suisse, Raiffeisen (Switzerland) and PostFinance, and must meet stricter capital requirements and prepare contingency plans for times of crisis.

From Wikipedia’s article on Zurich Cantonal Bank, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.5

Products and brands

With 103 outlets, ZKB is the largest network of branches in the canton of Zürich.

ZKB also maintains a network of international representatives and regional advisory offices in Beijing, Mumbai, Singapore, Panama, and São Paulo. ZKB also has a branch in Austria (Salzburg).

From Wikipedia’s article on Zurich Cantonal Bank, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.5

Subsidiaries and ownership

Also owns

From Wikidata.1

Employees over time

  • 20165,1731

Timeline

  1. Feb 15, 1870Founded Founded in Zurich1

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

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