A new giant reorganizes the insurance market
The merger of Helvetia and Baloise has created a new insurance giant in Basel. Helvetia Baloise Holding AG will become the second-largest insurance group in Switzerland and the largest employer in the industry. Behind the sober formula "merger of equals" are strategic power shifts, opportunities for the market and tough cuts for parts of the workforce.
Foto: Baloise
Since December 5, 2025, it has been clear that Helvetia and Baloise will only operate together as Helvetia Baloise Holding Ltd, listed on the SIX and with the abbreviation HBAN. Baloise has been legally merged into Helvetia, but the new brand is deliberately presented as a joint project with two strong roots. The last day of trading in Baloise shares marked a historic cut. Just three days later, the new Helvetia Baloise shares were traded for the first time.
The merger will create an insurer that will change the industry through its sheer size. With over 22,000 employees, a gross premium volume of around CHF 20 billion and more than two million customers in Switzerland alone, Helvetia Baloise is the largest all-lines insurer in the country. A market share of around 20 percent is a clear statement: this group wants to play an active role in shaping the rules of the game in the Swiss insurance market.
Power, markets and billions
There is a clear rationale behind the merger: bundling synergies, reducing duplication and increasing clout. Helvetia Baloise is announcing annual cost synergies of around CHF 350 million, in addition to existing efficiency programs. For the capital markets, the message is as clear as it is attractive. Dividend capacity is set to increase by around 20 percent by 2029.
For the market, this means a new pole of stability and competition. Such a large player can invest in technology, digitalization and new products in a way that smaller providers find more difficult. At the same time, there is growing pressure on other insurers to follow suit, forge alliances or occupy niches. The merger is therefore more than just a corporate deal. It is a signal of an imminent reorganization in the Swiss insurance market.
Between new beginnings and job cuts
The flip side of the synergies is the announced job cuts. Over the next three years, 2,000 to 2,600 jobs are to be cut, primarily in areas where duplicate structures currently exist, in administration, IT and the back office. The Group is emphasizing that the reduction will be as socially responsible as possible, with natural fluctuation, early retirement and internal transfers. For many employees, the merger means uncertainty, reorientation or parting.
At the same time, Helvetia Baloise is making a clear commitment to Basel as a location. The Group remains anchored in the city on the Rhine and is positioning itself as an important employer and economic anchor in the region. Which locations will be strengthened, merged or scaled back will be communicated step by step, a long integration process that will be felt for years to come.
What will change for customers
Many things will remain stable for customers for the time being. Existing insurance contracts will continue to run under the agreed conditions, and the merger does not give rise to an extraordinary right of termination. In legal terms, rights and obligations will automatically be transferred to Helvetia Baloise. Initially, this should hardly be noticeable in everyday life.
In the medium term, however, the picture is likely to change. Product ranges will be harmonized, duplicate offers will be eliminated and the more attractive or more efficient offer will be continued. The aim is to create leaner, more comprehensible product lines and a broader, standardized offering from a single source. From household contents to motor vehicle and buildings insurance. The Group intends to outline exactly what this new modular product system will look like as part of further integration communication and at an investor day in April 2026.
A new beginning withan open outcome
The merger of Helvetia and Baloise is more than just a balance sheet transaction, it is a new beginning with an open outcome. For Switzerland as an insurance center, the new giant brings strength, speed and investment power. For employees, it means both opportunities in a larger organization and the risk of losing their jobs. And for customers, it promises a more focused, modern offering in the long term if the Group succeeds in translating its size into tangible added value.