Cat Financial Products made significant progress in the 2023 financial year, both strategically and operationally. We would like to take this opportunity to report on the developments of the past year and provide an outlook on our planned activities for the coming year:

In March 2023, we received authorization from Finma to operate as a securities house - a milestone in Cat Financial Products history. Planning for this important step had already begun in summer 2021 and led to significant investments in the further expansion of our range of products and services. Increasing the number of employees and improving our IT systems and infrastructure were crucial steps to enable the investment firm to start its operations effectively and ensure the smooth operation and scalability of our services. In anticipation of this phase, Cat Financial Products proactively increased its capital base as early as December 2022 and communicated its approval to become a securities house in March 2023. All investments were taken into account in the strategic budgeting process.

It is very pleasing that this year is not only in line with the business plan, but is also showing a promising earnings trend. Despite a challenging market environment with rising interest rates and increasing geopolitical tensions, we were able to achieve a record income result this year. This is important proof of the robustness of our business model and the successful implementation of our strategy.

We are proud of what we have achieved as a growing team in 2023 and look to the future with confidence. We have ambitious plans for the coming year and beyond to further consolidate our position and expand our services for our customers.

Sustainable growth with new financial products and technological innovations

Expanding our range of innovative financial products is very important for the coming year. The aim is to continue tailoring these to the latest market trends and customer needs. In doing so, we want to guarantee a unique investment result at low costs and maximum flexibility and security across all assets classes.

Technological innovations are an important building block in this. They are playing an increasingly important role in the world of finance. We will continue to invest in our IT infrastructure in order to offer our clients an even more efficient and user-friendly platform.

We also plan to establish collaborations with established financial institutions and use such partnerships to increase our market reach and positioning for sustainable growth and long-term success.

This also includes strengthening its presence in new regions and markets. For this reason, Cat Financial Products moved into new office premises in Lugano in December and is now able to provide even better support to customers with a local sales team. Expansion in Europe is still on the agenda for 2024.

We will continue to do everything we can to provide our customers with a unique investment experience and innovative financial solutions.