Swiss city of Lugano issues 120 million Swiss franc digital bond via SDX

The Swiss city of Lugano has issued a CHF120 million ($139 million) digital bond, the third bond issued by the city. The city currently issues bonds only through the SIX Digital Exchange (SDX). Like past issuances, this bond is listed on SDX and the main SIX exchange and can be held at the SDX digital central securities depository (CSD) and the SIS traditional depository. “Lugano has optimized its debt management strategy and obtained more cost-effective financing than expected, which will help support Lugano’s financial strength in the medium and long term,” the city said in a statement. The city was the first non-financial institution to use SDX, issuing its first CHF100 million digital bond in 2023. This is the first digital bond included by the Swiss National Bank (SNB) as part of the SNB General Collateral Basket.