Swiss Blue-chip Index Blinks Green; Ams-Osram Shares Up

11:53 AM EDT, 08/04/2026 (MT Newswires) -- The Swiss Market Index was up 0.64% on Tuesday's close, remaining in positive territory, as investors took stock of the latest corporate releases while keeping tabs on geopolitical developments in the Middle East. The US and Iran could reach a deal "today or tomorrow" to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and "move towards a more normalized position in this conflict," US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC in an interview. Meanwhile, Qatar's foreign ministry said mediators, including its own and those from Pakistan and Oman, are working together to facilitate talks and exchange drafts between the US and Iran. "After several weeks of military exchanges and fears of a renewed energy shock, markets have started August welcoming the late weekend comments from President Trump that fresh talks with Iran would begin after he cancelled plans for what he described as a major attack," according to analysts at Deutsche Bank Research. "That optimism was reinforced by suggestions from Iranian officials that negotiations between Iran and Oman over 'temporary' shipping arrangements through the Strait of Hormuz are progressing, offering a potential path towards improved oil flows." Back home, provisional data from Switzerland's Federal Statistical Office showed that the hotel sector recorded 4.1 million overnight stays in June, down by 2.2% from the prior year. Hotel bookings by domestic guests rose 0.4% to 1.9 million, while those from foreigners fell 4.4% to 2.2 million. Over to corporates, Roche (RO.SW) and its US-based partner Nurix Therapeutics enrolled the first patient in the global phase 3 clinical trial evaluating bexobrutideg as a potential therapy in patients with relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma who were previously treated with a covalent Bruton's tyrosine kinase inhibitor. The trial marks the first late-stage trial for the investigational drug. The Swiss drugmaker's shares were 0.89% in the green at closing. Ams-Osram (AMS.SW) also saw its shares gain 3.36% as it reported a 4% year-over-year increase in second-quarter revenue to 805 million euros, coming in at the upper end of the light and sensor technology company's guided range. On the other hand, its non-adjusted net loss amounted to 121 million euros, against the year-ago net result of 1 million euros.