Form N-CSR - Certified Shareholder Report

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM N-CSR

CERTIFIED SHAREHOLDER REPORT OF REGISTERED

MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES

811-05128

Investment Company Act file number

The Swiss Helvetia Fund, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)

c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI  53202
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip code)

Andrew Dakos, President and Chief Executive Officer

 c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI  53202
(Name and address of agent for service)

 1-800-730-2932

Registrant's telephone number, including area code

Date of fiscal year end: December 31, 2023

Date of reporting period:  December 31, 2023

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Item 1. Reports to Stockholders.

(a)

The Swiss Helvetia Fund, Inc. Executive Offices 615 East Michigan Street Milwaukee, WI 53202 [phone]

A Swiss Investments Fund www.swzfund.com

Annual Report For the Year Ended December 31, 2023

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THE SWISS HELVETIA FUND, INC.

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Managed Distribution Policy Disclosure

 

In May 2018, The Swiss Helvetia Fund, Inc. (the “Fund”), acting pursuant to an SEC exemptive order and with the approval of the Fund’s Board of Directors (the “Board”), adopted a managed distribution policy. Under that policy, as resumed by the Board and as currently in effect, the Fund will pay a quarterly distribution stated in terms of a fixed amount of $0.12285 per share of the Fund’s common stock, which equates to an annualized distribution rate of 6.00% based on the Fund’s net asset value of $8.19 as of October 31, 2022. In accordance with the policy, the Fund distributed on March 31, 2023, June 30, 2023 and September 29, 2023, $0.12285 per share to stockholders of record on March 22, 2023, June 21, 2023 and September 20, 2023 respectively. Beginning in December 2023, the Fund began making quarterly distributions pursuant to the policy of $0.129 per share, which equates to an annualized distribution rate of 6.00% based on the Fund's net asset value of $8.60 per share as of October 31, 2023. In accordance with the policy, the Fund distributed on December 29, 2023, $0.129 per share to stockholders of record on December 19, 2023.

 

You should not draw any conclusions about the Fund’s investment performance from the amount of the Fund’s distribution or from the terms of the Fund’s managed distribution policy. The Board reviews the Fund’s managed distribution policy periodically and may amend or terminate the managed distribution policy at any time without prior notice to Fund stockholders, which could have an adverse effect on the market price of the Fund’s shares.

 

With each distribution, the Fund will issue a notice to stockholders and a press release which will provide detailed information regarding the amount and composition of the distribution and other related information. The amounts and sources of distributions reported in the notice to stockholders are only estimates, are likely to change over time, and are not being provided for tax reporting purposes. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for tax reporting purposes will depend upon the Fund’s investment experience during the remainder of its fiscal year and may be subject to changes based on tax regulations. The Fund will send you a Form 1099- DIV for the calendar year that will tell you how to report these distributions for federal income tax purposes. Please refer to “Federal Income Tax and Investment Transactions” under Note 5 of the Notes to Financial Statements for information  regarding the tax character of the Fund’s distributions. A copy of the Fund’s Section 19(a) notices is available on the Fund’s website at www.swzfund.com.

 

The Fund’s total return in relation to changes in net asset value is presented in the Financial Highlights.

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THE SWISS HELVETIA FUND, INC.

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Dear Stockholder,

 

 

We are pleased to provide you with the Annual Report for The Swiss Helvetia Fund, Inc. (the “Fund”) covering the twelve-month period ended December 31, 2023.

 

In December 2022, the Fund’s Board of Directors approved the Fund’s stock repurchase plan of up to 250,000 shares of common stock for 2023. The Fund repurchased 205,045 shares of common stock in the open market at a cost of $1,687,724 pursuant to the program during the year ended December 31, 2023. The weighted average discount to net asset value of these purchases was 16.32%. The principal purpose of the stock repurchase program is to enhance stockholder value by increasing the Fund’s net asset value per share (“NAV”) through stock repurchase at below NAV.

 

At the Fund’s Annual Meeting of Stockholders held on September 13, 2023, stockholders elected Andrew Dakos, Richard Dayan, Phillip F. Goldstein, Gerald Hellerman and Moritz A. Sell as Directors and ratified Tait, Weller & Baker, LLP as the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm for the year ending December 31, 2023.

 

Detailed comments regarding the Swiss economy and market environment follow in the accompanying Management Discussion and Analysis.

 

On behalf of the board, I thank you for your investment in the Fund.

 

Sincerely yours,

 

Andrew Dakos

Chairman

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Management Discussion and Analysis (as of December 31, 2023)

 

For the twelve-month period ended December 31, 2023, The Swiss Helvetia Fund, Inc. (the “Fund”), as measured by the change in the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”), increased by +16.92% in US dollars (“USD”) on a total return basis. For the same period, the Fund’s share price increased by +15.48% in USD on a total return basis. This compares with an increase of +16.54% in the Swiss Performance Index (the “Index” or the “SPI”) in USD.

 

Economic environment during the period under review

 

Global economic review

For the year 2023, the global economy was expected to recover mainly due to re-opening in China after the end of strict COVID-19 restrictions. However, the anticipated recovery in China disappointed and there are no signs of a significant improvement due to demand weakness, deflation, and an ongoing real estate crisis. Furthermore, the potential escalation of conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East has raised alarm, contributing to uncertainty and tensions in commodity markets. The Western economies have, nevertheless, stayed stronger than anticipated during the year.

 

Major central banks further raised interest rates to fight inflation. The Federal Reserve (“Fed”) raised interest rates ten times in a row beginning in spring 2022 before electing, for the first time since the interest rate increases began, to maintain interest rate levels in June 2023. Then in July 2023, the Fed increased the interest rate from 5.25 to 5.50 percent, representing highest level since 2007. The US has so far avoided recession despite most early warning signs flashing red. Robust labor market conditions and expansive fiscal policy helped to sustain growth, while core inflation remained elevated at 3.90% in December 2023 (year over year).

 

The European Central Bank (“ECB”) raised interest rates in the eurozone to 4.50 percent representing the eleventh tightening since last summer and highest rate since the beginning of 2008. Core inflation in Europe decreased to 3.40% in December 2023 (year over year). Economic data shows that real GDP growth declined to zero in the third quarter of 2023 with some notable countries, such as Germany, in recession. The first release of data indicates that the eurozone has experienced a zero real GDP growth in the fourth quarter (year over year).

 

Market environment during the period under review

Global equities gained during the first half of 2023, primarily led by the US, and buoyed by receding recession worries in these markets. After a weak third quarter, global equities reported a strong fourth quarter as the Fed signalled that interest rates cuts may be on the way for 2024. For the year under review, developed markets outperformed emerging markets.

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In fixed income, government bond yields rose in the first three quarters (meaning bond prices fell), followed by a very positive final quarter, marking in some countries the best quarterly performance in over two decades (strong increase in prices lead to decrease in bonds yields). A major driver of this strong performance was a perceived shift in monetary policy direction, from a “higher-for-longer” stance to prospective rate cuts.

 

Worldwide equities, measured by the MSCI World Index, increased +24.44% in USD for the year 2023.

 

With respect to European equities, the MSCI Europe Index increased +16.51% in EUR, and the strengthening of EUR has translated into a +20.35% USD increase.

 

Swiss equities, as measured by the SPI, increased by +6.09% in 2023 (in CHF, which translates to a +16.54% USD increase). Within Switzerland, small and mid-cap companies, represented by the SPI Extra Index (the “SPIEX”), increased by +17.03% and slightly outperformed the large cap companies segment. The total return for Swiss equities is above the long-term average equity performance, but a bit behind the strong advances of other markets due to the fact that two of the three heavyweights had more muted total returns, namely Roche (-4.18% in USD) and Nestlé (+2.55% in USD).

 

In 2023, all sectors within the SPI performed positively. Information Technology showed the strongest performance in 2023 (+36.55%), followed by Materials (+36.06%), Industrials (+35.66%), and Utilities (+31.35%) (all in USD).

 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION CONCERNING

MANAGEMENT DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

Except as otherwise specifically stated, all information and investment team commentary, including portfolio security positions, is as of December 31, 2023. The views expressed in the Management Discussion and Analysis section (the “MD&A”) are those of the Fund's portfolio manager and are subject to change without notice. They do not necessarily represent the views of Schroders Investment Management North America Inc. The MD&A contains some forward-looking statements providing current expectations or forecasts of future events; they do not necessarily relate to historical or current facts. There can be no guarantee that any forward-looking statement will be realized. We undertake no obligation to publicly update forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Any discussions of specific securities should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell those securities. The Fund may buy, sell, or hold any security discussed herein, on the basis of factors described herein or the basis of other factors or other considerations. Fund holdings will change from time to time. Current and future portfolio holdings are subject to risk, including geopolitical and other risks.

 

Performance quoted represents past performance and does not guarantee or predict future results.

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Performance of Swiss Performance Index

for the year 2023 (GICS Sectors)

 

Source: Schroders, Blackrock Solutions / Aladdin Explore, as of December 31, 2023. Performance measured as total return in USD. Sectors mentioned should not be viewed as a recommendation to buy/sell. Portfolio composition is subject to change over time. Investors cannot invest directly in the Index or sub-indices.

Performance

 

The Fund’s NAV increased by +16.92% in USD, which represents an outperformance after fees of the Index for the year under review.

 

For the full year of 2023 in Switzerland, the investment style characterized as value (MSCI Switzerland Value Index) outperformed growth (MSCI Switzerland Growth Index). Thus, the value bias applied by the Fund’s investment adviser was positive during the year. Additionally, the bias towards small and mid-cap companies was slightly positive as the SPIEX outperformed large caps, represented by the Swiss Market Index (“SMI”).

 

In terms of stock picking, the biggest contributors to the Fund’s relative

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performance came from overweights in Aryzta, Swissquote, Partners Group, VZ Holding, Logitech, BKW, Swiss Life and Comet. Other contributors to performance came from underweight in Roche and zero weight in Credit Suisse.

 

On the other hand, overweights in OC Oerlikon, Idorsia and Tecan as well as underweights in ABB, UBS, Geberit, Holcim, Straumann, Swiss Re and Adecco (latter four are zero weights) had a negative impact on the Fund’s relative performance.

 

The Fund’s private equity position in Aravis Biotech contributed positively (around 1%) to its performance. The Fund’s three remaining positions in private companies (Eyesense, Selfrag and Spineart) negatively contributed to its performance.

 

Portfolio changes

 

In total, there were 16 purchases and 25 sales of listed equities in 2023. As of December 31, 2023, there were 45 listed companies held by the Fund and 4 direct private equity investments, including one participation in a private equity limited partnership.

 

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New Investments by the Fund

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Bachem

Barry Callebaut

DKSH

Galenica

R&S Group

Sandoz

Ypsomed

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Additions to Existing Investments

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Accelleron

Alcon

Baloise

Julius Baer

Kuehne und Nagel

Medacta

SIG

Tecan

The Swatch

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Positions Entirely Disposed of

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Geberit

Polypeptide

VAT

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Reductions in Existing Investments

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ABB

AMS

Aryzta

BKW

Cie Financiere Richemont

Comet

Givaudan

Helvetia

Logitech

Lonza

Nestle

Partners Group

SFS

Sika

Software One

Sonova

St. Galler Kantonalbank

Swiss Life

Swissquote

UBS

VZ Holding

Zurich Insurance

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The Fund established new positions in Bachem, Barry Callebaut, DKSH, Galenica, R&S Group, Sandoz and Ypsomed.

 

Bachem is a global market leader in the development and manufacturing of peptides and is a key supplier to the new generation of GLP1 drugs (treatment of diabetes and obesity). We believe that the long term potential of Bachem is promising.

 

Barry Callebaut is the world leading cocoa processing and chocolate production company. Barry Callebaut’s share price took a hit in 2022 as they had a production interruption in their biggest plant in Belgium due to a contamination with salmonella. The problems have been resolved, and production is back and running.

 

DKSH helps companies to grow their business in existing markets and expand into new ones. DKSH has its business activities mainly in Asia, a region benefitting from the end of the lock-down in China. The company has additionally initiated some initiatives that we believe should help margins.

 

Galenica is the leading fully integrated healthcare provider in Switzerland. We believe Galenica has a resilient business and became cheap for its earnings visibility.

 

R&S Group is a leading provider of electrical infrastructure products in key markets around the globe. The company went public through a special purpose acquisition company and the fund has participated in the corresponding book building process.

 

Sandoz is a global leading producer of generics and biosimilars. After its spinoff from Novartis, shares of Sandoz were delivered to the Fund at the beginning of October and we added to this position throughout the fourth quarter.

 

Ypsomed is the leading developer and manufacturer of injection and infusion systems for self-medication. We believe that Ypsomed possesses promising potential due to a long-term supply agreement with Novo Nordisk to provide autoinjectors.

 

The Fund sold its entire positions in Geberit, Polypeptide and VAT. Polypeptide was not able to cope adequately with an input cost rise, and furthermore had production issues. Geberit suffers from weakness in its end markets. During the COVID-19 pandemic, customers elected to renovate their bathrooms, benefiting sanitary suppliers like Geberit. However, after the war in Ukraine began, energy prices spiked, and customers are now focusing on renovating their heating systems or installing solar panels, leaving less room for bathroom renovations. The Fund sold its position in VAT after the stock had reached record levels.

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Source: Schroder Economics Group, 21 November 2023.

 

Outlook

 

As the global economy is widely expected to achieve a soft landing and interest rates appear to have peaked, the question arises: should we adopt a more positive view of the broader stock markets or remain balanced in our positioning and selective in our investment decisions? Despite our base scenario being a soft landing, we believe the latter approach is prudent. In a soft landing scenario, economic and profit growth might not be sufficiently high to positively influence equity valuations. We expect the Swiss stock market, renowned for its numerous market leaders and defensive attributes such as the generally solid balance sheets, will be able to navigate through periods of shifting market sentiment, including risk-on and risk-off phases. As a result, we anticipate Swiss domiciled companies will generally be well positioned to withstand these changes, although they will not be immune from global weaknesses.

 

The US economy has so far demonstrated resilience, and one notable example is the strong growth of 5.2% (based on preliminary data release at the time of writing) from the second to the third quarter of 2023. However, there are emerging signs of a potential deceleration, such as the increasing US unemployment rate. Furthermore, leading indicators like the Purchasing Managers Indices (PMI) point to a global economic slowdown. China, the world's second-largest economy, is already experiencing this slowdown as it grapples with demand weaknesses, deflation, and an ongoing real estate crisis that shows no signs of abating. Furthermore, the potential escalation of conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East has contributed to uncertainty and tensions in commodity markets.

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Looking at global growth estimates, we expect the global economy to grow by approximately 2.2% in 2024. This projection is significantly lower than the average growth rate of 3.8% observed between 2000 and 2019. This deceleration can be attributed to the impact of policy tightening measures. Shifting our focus to Switzerland, GDP is expected to grow by 1.1% in 2024 and inflation (consumer price index) to be at 1.9% according to the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO).

 

What does this mean for Swiss companies?

Compared to the Eurozone or the US, Switzerland is well positioned due to its much lower inflation level. Although there are some upward pressures from rents, energy prices, and healthcare costs, we anticipate that inflation in Switzerland will remain at moderate levels. This is largely attributed to the strength of the Swiss franc, which helps mitigate input costs. Furthermore, we believe the ongoing strength of the Swiss franc can generally be absorbed well, given the low inflationary environment on an international scale. Consequently, Swiss domiciled companies are faring relatively well in the current environment. Our regular discussions with company management support this observation. Additionally, Swiss companies tend to maintain lower debt levels, which generally strengthens their overall financial stability. This is an advantageous characteristic that further enhances their resilience in challenging times.

 

In conclusion, we think in the first half of 2024, stock market performance could be limited due to a further slowing down of the economy. After a reset to more realistic expectations, the environment for stocks could improve around mid-year. This cautious optimism is supported by several factors, including the expected further decrease in inflation and initial interest rate reductions, which has the potential to stimulate a risk-on phase in the market. Our outlook suggests that the primary driver for Swiss stock performance will be earnings growth. Furthermore, we expect that companies failing to meet their financial guidance will likely underperform. Therefore, stock selection will play a vital role in the year to come.

 

In terms of investment strategy, we intend to stick to our balanced positioning with a clear focus on high-quality firms with healthy balance sheets. Looking ahead to the coming months and quarters of 2024, we will seek to uncover compelling buying opportunities, particularly for cyclical companies, primarily in the small and mid-sized segment. These companies tend to suffer more during risk-off phases and typically benefit from risk-on phases.

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Performance at a glance (unaudited)

 

Average annual total returns for the Fund’s common stock for the periods ended 12/31/2023

 

Net asset value returns	1 year	5 years	10 years
The Swiss Helvetia Fund, Inc.	16.92%	9.52%	6.09%
Market price returns
The Swiss Helvetia Fund, Inc.	15.48%	9.76%	5.73%
Index returns
Swiss Performance Index	16.54%	11.70%	6.99%
Share price as of 12/31/2023
Net asset value			$9.76
Market price			$8.20

Past performance does not predict future performance. The return and value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s share, when sold, may be worth more or less than their original cost. The Fund’s common stock net asset value (“NAV”) return assumes, for illustration only, that dividends and other distributions, if any, were reinvested at the NAV on the ex-dividend date. The Fund’s common stock market price returns assume that all dividends and other distributions, if any, were reinvested at the lower of the NAV or the closing market price on the ex-dividend date. NAV and market price returns for the period of less than one year have not been annualized. Returns do not reflect the deduction of taxes that a stockholder could pay on Fund dividends and other distributions, if any, or the sale of Fund shares.

 

The Swiss Performance Index (SPI) is considered Switzerland's overall stock market index. It comprises practically all of the SIX Swiss Exchange-traded equity securities of companies that are domiciled in Switzerland or the Principality of Liechtenstein. You cannot invest directly in an index.

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Schedule of Investments by Industry

December 31, 2023

 

									Percent
No. of									of Net
Shares			Security		Value				Assets
Common Stock — 97.78%
Advertising — 1.15%
	21,000		DKSH Holding AG		$	1,457,138				1.15	%
			An international
			marketing and services
			group. The company offers
			a comprehensive package
			of services that includes
			organizing and running
			the entire value chain
			for any product.
			(Cost $1,461,589)
						1,457,138				1.15	%
Banks — 3.03%
	425		St Galler Kantonalbank AG			248,188				0.19	%
			Offers retail and
			commercial banking
			as well as private and
			institutional banking.
			Also provides asset
			management and financial
			planning services.
			(Cost $200,119)
	116,000		UBS Group AG			3,597,220				2.84	%
			Provides retail banking,
			corporate and institutional
			banking, wealth
			management, asset
			management and
			investment banking.
			(Cost $1,582,000)
						3,845,408				3.03	%
Biotechnology — 2.28%
	10,801		Bachem Holding AG			834,153				0.66	%
			Specializes in the
			development and
			manufacture of peptides
			and oligonucleotides.
			The company provides
			products for research,
			clinical development and
			commercial application to
			pharmaceutical and
			biotechnology companies.
			(Cost $827,767)
	41,308		Idorsia Ltd.1			103,755				0.08	%
			Researches, develops,
			and manufactures
			pharmaceutical, biological,
			and diagnostic products.
			(Cost $1,141,327)
	4,650		Lonza Group AG			1,954,143				1.54	%
			Produces organic fine
			chemicals, biocides, active
			ingredients, and
			biotechnology products.
			(Cost $2,620,486)
						2,892,051				2.28	%
Building Materials — 2.96%
	820		Forbo Holding AG			1,026,888				0.81	%
			Produces floor coverings,
			adhesives and belts for
			conveying and
			power transmission.
			(Cost $1,292,481)

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See Notes to Financial Statements.

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Schedule of Investments by Industry	December 31, 2023
(continued)

 

									Percent
No. of									of Net
Shares			Security		Value				Assets
Common Stock — (continued)
Building Materials — (continued)
	8,400		Sika AG		$	2,731,634				2.15	%
			Manufactures construction
			materials, producing
			concrete and mixtures,
			mortar, sealants and
			adhesives, tooling resins,
			anti-static industrial
			flooring, and acoustic
			materials. The company
			serves customers worldwide.
			(Cost $1,566,770)
						3,758,522				2.96	%
Chemicals — 1.34%
	410		Givaudan SA			1,697,190				1.34	%
			Manufactures and markets
			fragrances and flavors
			from natural and synthetic
			ingredients. The Company
			sells its products to
			manufactures of perfumes,
			beverages, prepared foods,
			and consumer goods.
			(Cost $1,239,873)
						1,697,190				1.34	%
Computers — 1.68%
	18,000		Logitech International SA			1,705,792				1.34	%
			Engages in the
			development and
			marketing of hardware and
			software products that
			enable or enhance digital
			navigation, music and video
			entertainment, gaming,
			social networking and audio
			and video communication.
			(Cost $244,048)
	22,000		SoftwareONE Holding AG			428,682				0.34	%
			Provides IT services. The
			Company offers cloud
			computing, portfolio
			management, procurement,
			unified communication,
			and other related solutions.
			(Cost $400,813)
						2,134,474				1.68	%
Diversified Financial Services — 3.27%
	27,000		Julius Baer Group Ltd.			1,512,565				1.19	%
			Provides private banking
			services. The company
			advises on wealth
			management, financial
			planning and investments;
			offers mortgage and other
			lending, foreign exchange,
			securities trading, custody
			and execution services.
			(Cost $1,314,961)
	6,000		Swissquote Group
			Holding SA			1,458,563				1.15	%
			Through its subsidiaries,
			offers online financial
			services. The company
			operates an online trading
			system which offers
			customers real-time
			securities quotes on the
			Swiss Stock Exchange.
			(Cost $581,470)

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See Notes to Financial Statements.

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Schedule of Investments by Industry	December 31, 2023
(continued)

									Percent
No. of									of Net
Shares			Security		Value				Assets
Common Stock — (continued)
Diversified Financial Services — (continued)
	10,030		VZ Holding AG		$	1,170,256				0.93	%
			Provides independent
			financial advice to private
			individuals and companies.
			The company consults on
			investment, tax and
			inheritance planning and
			provides advice regarding
			insurance products
			and coverage.
			(Cost $327,269)
						4,141,384				3.27	%
Electric — 1.54%
	11,000		BKW AG			1,953,900				1.54	%
			Provides energy supply
			services. The company
			focuses on the production,
			transportation, trading and
			sale of energy. In addition
			to energy supply, the
			company also develops,
			implements and operates
			energy solutions for
			its clients.
			(Cost $737,667)
						1,953,900				1.54	%
Electronic Components & Equipment — 2.73%
	35,500		ABB Ltd.			1,573,278				1.24	%
			Provides power and
			automation technologies.
			The company operates
			under segments that
			include power products,
			power systems, automation
			products, process
			automation, and robotics.
			(Cost $716,888)
	2,000		Comet Holding AG			630,191				0.50	%
			Develops, produces, and
			distributes components
			and systems for x-ray tubes,
			vacuum condensers, and
			radio frequency, as well as
			other medical products.
			(Cost $402,700)
	100,000		R&S Group Holding AG1			1,259,431				0.99	%
			Manufactures small and
			medium power and
			distribution transformers
			and other components in
			the utility, infrastructure,
			and industrial sectors.
			(Cost $1,137,204)
						3,462,900				2.73	%
Food — 20.70%
	1,234,586		Aryzta AG1			2,276,573				1.79	%
			Produces and retails
			specialty bakery products.
			The Company produces
			French breads, pastries,
			continental breads,
			confections, artisan breads,
			homestyle lunches,
			viennoiserie, patisserie,
			cookies, pizza, appetizers,
			and sweet baked goods.
			(Cost $1,266,401)
	900		Barry Callebaut AG			1,517,376				1.20	%
			Manufactures cocoa and
			chocolate products. The
			Company markets to
			industrial food
			manufacturers, chocolatiers,
			pastry chefs, bakers, and
			retailers globally.
			(Cost $1,669,891)

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See Notes to Financial Statements.

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Schedule of Investments by Industry	December 31, 2023
(continued)

									Percent
No. of									of Net
Shares			Security		Value				Assets
Common Stock — (continued)
Food — (continued)
	193,837		Nestle SA		$	22,457,133				17.71	%
			One of the world’s largest
			food and beverage
			processing companies.
			(Cost $12,557,687)
						26,251,082				20.70	%
Health Care — 2.34%
	70,000		Sandoz Group AG1			2,250,579				1.77	%
			Manufactures and
			distributes generic and
			biosimilar medicines for the
			treatment of patients with
			diseases such as cancer,
			diabetes, and arthritis.
			(Cost $1,574,032)
	2,000		Ypsomed Holding AG			720,014				0.57	%
			Develops and manufactures
			custom-made injection
			systems for pharmaceutical
			and bio-technology
			companies.
			(Cost $583,146)
						2,970,593				2.34	%
Healthcare-Products — 7.30%
	34,000		Alcon, Inc.			2,651,648				2.09	%
			Manufactures eye care
			products. The company
			produces and markets
			vitreoretinal and cataract
			surgery, contact lenses,
			and refractive
			technology products.
			(Cost $2,296,818)
	125,416		Eyesense AG, Series A1,2,3			1,490				0.00	%
			A spin-out from Ciba Vision
			AG. Develops novel
			ophthalmic self- diagnostic
			systems for glucose
			monitoring of diabetes
			patients.
			(Cost $3,007,048)
	8,500		Medacta Group SA			1,268,461				1.00	%
			Produces and distributes
			medical devices. The
			company develops,
			manufactures, and
			distributes orthopedic
			and neurosurgical
			medical devices.
			(Cost $940,840)
	6,848		SKAN Group AG			657,421				0.52	%
			Provides health care
			supplies. The Company
			offers isolators,
			cleanroom devices, and
			decontamination processes
			for the aseptic production
			of the biopharmaceutical
			products.
			(Cost $530,142)
	3,000		Sonova Holding AG			978,079				0.77	%
			Designs and produces
			wireless analog and digital
			in-the-ear and behind-the-ear
			hearing aids and
			miniaturized voice
			communications systems.
			(Cost $457,261)

---

See Notes to Financial Statements.

14

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THE SWISS HELVETIA FUND, INC.

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Schedule of Investments by Industry	December 31, 2023
(continued)

									Percent
No. of									of Net
Shares			Security		Value				Assets
Common Stock — (continued)
Healthcare-Products — (continued)
	221,085		Spineart SA1,2,3		$	1,339,670				1.06	%
			Designs and markets an
			innovative full range of
			spine products, including
			fusion and motion
			preservation devices,
			focusing on easy to implant
			high-end products to
			simplify the surgical act.
			(Cost $1,554,486)
	5,800		Tecan Group AG			2,366,447				1.86	%
			Manufactures and
			distributes laboratory
			automation components
			and systems. The products
			are mainly used by research
			and diagnostic laboratories.
			(Cost $815,502)
						9,263,216				7.30	%
Healthcare-Services — 0.77%
	11,300		Galenica AG			976,742				0.77	%
			Retails pharmaceutical
			products, and services
			customers in Switzerland.
			The Company offers health,
			beauty, and related
			products and services.
			(Cost $902,693)
						976,742				0.77	%
Industrials — 1.38%
	1,252		Belimo Holding AG1			689,928				0.55	%
			Manufactures heating,
			ventilation and air
			conditioning equipment.
			(Cost $144,479)
	234,000		OC Oerlikon Corp. AG			1,055,384				0.83	%
			Manufactures industrial
			equipment. The Company
			produces protective
			coatings for precision
			tools and components,
			equipment for textile
			production, and propulsion
			technology drive systems.
			(Cost $2,574,223)
						1,745,312				1.38	%
Insurance — 8.32%
	12,000		Baloise Holding AG			1,879,166				1.48	%
			Offers group and individual
			life, health, accident,
			liability property, and
			transportation insurance
			to customers in Europe.
			The Company also offers
			private banking and asset
			management services.
			(Cost $1,807,178)
	6,700		Helvetia Holding AG			922,628				0.73	%
			Provides a broad range of
			life, casualty, liability,
			accident and transportation
			insurance in Switzerland
			and in other European
			countries. The Company
			insures individuals, property
			such as vehicles and
			buildings, and consumer
			goods and personal
			belongings.
			(Cost $579,944)
	3,263		Swiss Life Holding AG			2,264,115				1.79	%
			Provides life insurance
			and institutional
			investment management.
			(Cost $785,435)

---

See Notes to Financial Statements.

15

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THE SWISS HELVETIA FUND, INC.

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Schedule of Investments by Industry	December 31, 2023
(continued)

									Percent
No. of									of Net
Shares			Security		Value				Assets
Common Stock — (continued)
Insurance — (continued)
	10,500		Zurich Insurance
			Group AG		$	5,484,227				4.32	%
			Provides insurance-based
			financial services. The
			company offers general
			and life insurance products
			and services for individuals,
			small businesses, commercial
			enterprises, mid-sized and
			large corporations, and
			multinational companies.
			(Cost $3,383,755)
						10,550,136				8.32	%
Machinery-Diversified — 0.76%
	31,000		Accelleron Industries AG			967,219				0.76	%
			Develops, produces, and
			services turbochargers
			and large turbocharging
			components. The Company
			offers turbocharging
			technologies and
			optimization solutions for
			engines thereby reducing
			the environmental impact
			with less fuel emissions.
			(Cost $562,702)
						967,219				0.76	%
Metal Fabricate/Hardware — 1.07%
	11,000		SFS Group AG			1,361,849				1.07	%
			Provides automotive
			products, building and
			electronic components, flat
			roofing and solar fastening
			systems. The company
			operates production
			facilities in Asia, Europe
			and North America.
			(Cost $719,463)
						1,361,849				1.07	%
Packaging & Containers — 1.63%
	90,000		SIG Combibloc Group AG			2,069,150				1.63	%
			The company, through its
			subsidiaries, manufactures
			and produces bottling
			machines and systems for
			the food and beverage
			industries. The company
			serves customers
			worldwide.
			(Cost $1,234,854)
						2,069,150				1.63	%
Pharmaceuticals — 21.66%
	142,229		Novartis AG			14,342,037				11.31	%
			One of the leading
			manufacturers of branded
			and generic
			pharmaceutical products.
			(Cost $6,989,680)
	45,177		Roche Holding AG			13,123,955				10.35	%
			Develops and
			manufactures
			pharmaceutical and
			diagnostic products.
			Produces prescription
			drugs to treat cardiovascular,
			infectious and autoimmune
			diseases and for other
			areas including dermatology
			and oncology.
			(Cost $8,109,729)
						27,465,992				21.66	%

---

See Notes to Financial Statements.

16

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THE SWISS HELVETIA FUND, INC.

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Schedule of Investments by Industry	December 31, 2023
(continued)

									Percent
No. of									of Net
Shares			Security		Value				Assets
Common Stock — (continued)
Private Equity — 2.79%
	2,450		Partners Group
			Holding AG		$	3,530,981				2.79	%
			A global private markets
			investment management
			firm with investment
			programs under
			management in private
			equity, private real estate,
			private infrastructure and
			private debt. The firm
			manages a broad range of
			customized portfolios for
			an international clientele of
			institutional investors.
			Partners Group is
			headquartered in Zug,
			Switzerland.
			(Cost $1,917,144)
						3,530,981				2.79	%
Retail — 6.42%
	44,000		Cie Financiere
			Richemont SA			6,051,209				4.77	%
			Manufactures and retails
			luxury goods. Produces
			jewelry, watches, leather
			goods, writing instruments
			and men’s and
			women’s wear.
			(Cost $3,421,020)
	40,000		Swatch Group AG –
			Registered Shares			2,093,507				1.65	%
			Manufactures finished
			watches, movements and
			components. Produces
			components necessary to
			its various watch brand
			companies. The company
			also operates
			retail boutiques.
			(Cost $2,466,618)
						8,144,716				6.42	%
Semiconductors — 1.11%
	562,500		ams-OSRAM AG1			1,412,850				1.11	%
			Designs and manufactures
			advanced sensor solutions.
			The company also delivers
			a broad range of
			technology solutions for
			consumer electronics and
			communication device
			manufactures.
			(Cost $1,958,569)
						1,412,850				1.11	%
Transportation — 1.55%
	5,720		Kuehne + Nagel
			International AG			1,969,531				1.55	%
			Transports freight
			worldwide. The company
			operates sea, land, and
			rail freight transportation
			businesses and warehousing
			and distribution facilities.
			(Cost $1,558,223)
						1,969,531				1.55	%
			Total Common Stock
			(Cost $84,164,395)			124,022,336				97.78	%

---

See Notes to Financial Statements.

17

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THE SWISS HELVETIA FUND, INC.

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Schedule of Investments by Industry	December 31, 2023
(continued)

									Percent
No. of									of Net
Shares			Security		Value				Assets
Preferred Stock — 0.00%
Industrial Goods & Services — 0.00%
	500,863		SelFrag AG Class A1,2,3		$	5,178				0.00	%
			Designs, manufactures
			and sells industrial
			machines and processes
			using selective
			fragmentation technology.
			(Cost $1,932,198)
						5,178				0.00	%
			Total Preferred Stock
			(Cost $1,932,198)			5,178				0.00	%
Limited Partnership — 0.79%
Biotechnology — 0.79%
	3,294,705		Aravis Biotech II, Limited
			Partnership1,3,4			997,278				0.79	%
			Makes early stage venture
			investments in the
			biotechnology &
			pharmaceuticals industry.
			(Cost $213,885)
						997,278				0.79	%
			Total Limited
			Partnership
			(Cost $213,885)			997,278				0.79	%
			Total Investments5
			(Cost $86,310,478)			125,024,792				98.57	%
			Other Assets
			Less Liabilities5			1,806,464				1.43	%
			Net Assets		$	126,831,256				100.00	%
			Net Asset Value Per Share:
			($126,831,256 ÷12,990,705
			shares outstanding,
			$0.001 par value: 50 million
			shares authorized)						$	9.76

---

See Notes to Financial Statements.

18

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THE SWISS HELVETIA FUND, INC

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Schedule of Investments by Industry	December 31, 2023
(continued)

---

1	Non-income producing security.
2	Value determined using significant unobservable inputs.
3	Illiquid. There is not a public market for these securities in the United States or in any foreign jurisdiction, including Switzerland. Securities are priced at Fair Value in accordance with the Fund’s valuation policy and procedures. Aravis Biotech II, Limited Partnership was valued at net asset value as a practical expedient for fair value. At the end of the period, the aggregate Fair Value of these securities amounted to $1,346,338 or 1.06% of the Fund’s net assets. Additional information on these securities is as follows:

	Security	Acquisition Date		Cost
	Aravis Biotech II, Limited Partnership	July 31, 2007 – May 29, 2018		$	213,885
	Eyesense AG – Common Shares	July 22, 2010 – October 3, 2011			3,007,048
	SelFrag AG – Class A – Preferred Shares	December 15, 2011 – January 28, 2014			1,932,198
	Spineart SA – Common Shares	December 22, 2010 - December 20, 2020			1,554,486
				$	6,707,617

4	Affiliated Company. An affiliated company is a company in which the Fund has ownership of at least 5% of the company’s outstanding voting securities or an equivalent interest in the company. Details related to affiliated company holdings are as follows:
	Limited Partnership – 0.79%
	Biotechnology – 0.79%

			Value																				Change in								Value				Shares
			as of				Gross				Gross				Corporate				Realized				Unrealized				Interest				as of				as of
	Name of Issuer		12/31/22				Additions				Reductions				Actions				Gain/(Loss)				Gain/(Loss)				Income				12/31/23				12/31/23
	Aravis Biotech II,
	Limited Partnership1,3		$	1,302,142			$	—			$	(1,814,239	)		$	—			$	217,940			$	1,291,435			$	—			$	997,278				3,294,705
			$	1,302,142			$	—			$	(1,814,239	)		$	—			$	217,940			$	1,291,435			$	—			$	997,278				3,294,705

5	All of the Fund’s investments and other assets are pledged as collateral in accordance with a credit agreement with U.S. Bank, National Association.

---

See Notes to Financial Statements.

19

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THE SWISS HELVETIA FUND, INC.

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Schedule of Investments by Industry	December 31, 2023
(concluded)

PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS
% of Net Assets as of December 31, 2023
Pharmaceuticals			21.66	%
Food			20.70	%
Insurance			8.32	%
Healthcare-Products			7.30	%
Retail			6.42	%
Diversified Financial Services			3.27	%
Biotechnology			3.07	%
Banks			3.03	%
Building Materials			2.96	%
Private Equity			2.79	%
Electronic Components & Equipment			2.73	%
Health Care			2.34	%
Computers			1.68	%
Packaging & Containers			1.63	%
Transportation			1.55	%
Electric			1.54	%
Industrials			1.38	%
Chemicals			1.34	%
Advertising			1.15	%
Semiconductors			1.11	%
Metal Fabricate/Hardware			1.07	%
Healthcare - Services			0.77	%
Machinery-Diversified			0.76	%
Industrial Goods & Services			0.00	%
Other Assets Less Liabilities			1.43	%
			100.00	%
TOP 10 PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS
% of Net Assets as of December 31, 2023
Nestle SA			17.71	%
Novartis AG			11.31	%
Roche Holding AG			10.35	%
Cie Financiere Richemont SA			4.77	%
Zurich Insurance Group AG			4.32	%
UBS Group AG			2.84	%
Partners Group Holding AG			2.79	%
Sika AG			2.15	%
Alcon, Inc.			2.09	%
Tecan Group AG			1.86	%

---

See Notes to Financial Statements.

20

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THE SWISS HELVETIA FUND, INC.

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Statement of Assets and Liabilities

December 31, 2023

---

Assets:
Investments in unaffiliated issuers, at value (cost $86,096,593)		$	124,027,514
Investments in affiliated issuers, at value (cost $213,885)			997,278
Total Investments, at value (cost $86,310,478)			125,024,792
Cash and cash equivalents			669,256
Foreign currency (cost $23,330)			23,446
Tax reclaims receivable			1,431,019
Interest receivable			449
Prepaid expenses			19,919
Total assets			127,168,881
Liabilities:
Accrued Fees and Expenses:
Investment advisory			76,679
Directors			76,567
Legal			19,484
Audit			55,505
Custody			8,786
Credit facility interest			32,313
Other			68,291
Total liabilities			337,625
Net assets		$	126,831,256
Composition of Net Assets:
Paid-in capital			88,205,751
Total distributable earnings			38,625,505
Net assets		$	126,831,256
Net Asset Value Per Share:
($126,831,256 ÷ 12,990,705 shares outstanding,
$0.001 par value: 50 million shares authorized)		$	9.76

---

See Notes to Financial Statements.

21

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THE SWISS HELVETIA FUND, INC.

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Statement of Operations

For the Year Ended December 31, 2023

---

Investment Income:
Dividend (less of foreign tax withheld of $489,651)		$	2,912,736
Interest income			30,945
Total income			2,943,681
Expenses:
Investment advisory fees (Note 2)			861,972
Directors’			309,335
Legal (Note 3)			137,839
Officers			136,129
Administration (Note 3)			130,133
Delaware franchise tax (Note 9)			81,200
Credit facility interest			69,508
Printing and shareholder reports			63,086
Audit (Note 3)			55,505
Custody (Note 3)			58,059
Insurance			48,465
Transfer agency (Note 3)			36,477
Miscellaneous			59,670
Total expenses			2,047,378
Net investment income			896,303
Realized and Unrealized Gains on Investments and Foreign Currency Translations:
Net realized gain from:
Investments in unaffiliated issuers			3,634,014
Investments in affiliated issuers			217,940
Foreign currency transactions			205,218
Total net realized gain from unaffiliated and
affiliated issuers and foreign currency transactions			4,057,172
Net change in unrealized appreciation from:
Investments in unaffiliated issuers			12,473,373
Investments in affiliated issuers			1,291,435
Foreign currency translations			114,814
Total net change in unrealized appreciation from
unaffiliated and affiliated issuers, and foreign currency translations			13,879,622
Net Realized and Unrealized Gain on
Investments and Foreign Currency Translations			17,936,794
Net Increase in Net Assets from Operations		$	18,833,097

---

See Notes to Financial Statements.

22

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THE SWISS HELVETIA FUND, INC.

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Statement of Cash Flows

For the Year Ended December 31, 2023

---

Cash flows from operating activities:
Net increase in net assets applicable to common shareholders		$	18,833,097
Adjustments to reconcile net increase in net assets applicable to
common shareholders resulting from operations to net cash
provided by operating activities:
Purchases of investments			(16,922,326	)
Proceeds from sales of investments			22,216,493
Net purchases and sales of short-term investments			331,030
Return of capital distributions received from underlying investments			1,603,806
Increase in tax reclaims receivable			(133,131	)
Decrease in dividends and interest receivable			2,498
Decrease in other assets			517
Increase in payable to Adviser			6,422
Increase in accrued expenses and other liabilities			6,788
Net realized gains from investments			(3,851,954	)
Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) from investments			(13,764,808	)
Net cash provided by operating activities			8,328,432
Cash flows from financing activities:
Distributions paid to common shareholders			(6,488,430	)
Repurchase of common stock			(1,687,724	)
Net cash used in financing activities			(8,176,154	)
Net change in cash		$	152,278
Cash:
Beginning of year*			540,424
End of year*		$	692,702
Cash financing activities not included herein consist of interest paid			44,506

*	Cash included in the Statement of Cash Flows comprise of foreign currency and Money Market Deposit Account.

---

See Notes to Financial Statements.

23

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THE SWISS HELVETIA FUND, INC.

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Statement of Changes in Net Assets

		For the				For the
		Year Ended				Year Ended
		December 31, 2023				December 31, 2022
Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets:
Operations:
Net investment income		$	896,303			$	920,814
Total net realized gain from unaffiliated and
affiliated issuers and foreign currency transactions			4,057,172				2,080,182
Total net change in unrealized appreciation
(depreciation) from unaffiliated and affiliated issuers,
foreign currency and foreign currency translations			13,879,622				(30,399,182	)
Net increase (decrease) in net assets from operations			18,833,097				(27,398,186	)
Distributions to Stockholders:
From earnings			(5,796,462	)			(2,977,194	)
From return of capital			(691,968	)			(5,241,653	)
Total distributions to stockholders			(6,488,430	)			(8,218,847	)
Capital Stock Transactions:
Value of shares repurchased through
stock repurchase program (Note 6)			(1,687,724	)			(120,928	)
Total decrease from capital share transactions			(1,687,724	)			(120,928	)
Total increase (decrease) in net assets			10,656,943				(35,737,961	)
Net Assets:
Beginning of year			116,174,313				151,912,274
End of year		$	126,831,256			$	116,174,313

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See Notes to Financial Statements.

24

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THE SWISS HELVETIA FUND, INC.

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Financial Highlights

		For the Years Ended December 31,
		2023				2022				2021				2020				2019
Per Share Operating Performance:
Net asset value at the beginning of year		$	8.80			$	11.50			$	10.45			$	9.71			$	7.96
Income from Investment Operations:
Net investment income1			0.07				0.07				0.05				0.05				0.01
Net realized and unrealized
gain (loss) on investments2			1.36				(2.15	)			1.58				1.24				1.88
Total from investment activities			1.43				(2.08	)			1.63				1.29				1.89
Anti-dilutive effect of common
share repurchase program			0.03				0.00	4			—				0.01				—
Less Distributions:
Net investment income			(0.17	)			(0.06	)			(0.06	)			(0.08	)			(0.12	)
Net realized gains			(0.28	)			(0.16	)			(0.09	)			—				(0.02	)
Return of Capital			(0.05	)			(0.40	)			(0.43	)			(0.48	)			—
Total distributions			(0.50	)			(0.62	)			(0.58	)			(0.56	)			(0.14	)
Net asset value at end of year		$	9.76			$	8.80			$	11.50			$	10.45			$	9.71
Market value per share at the end of year		$	8.20			$	7.56			$	9.94			$	8.94			$	8.41
Total Investment Returns:3
Based on market value per share			15.48	%			-17.62	%			18.25	%			14.18	%			24.00	%
Based on net asset value per share			16.92	%			-17.97	%			16.09	%			14.29	%			23.80	%
Ratios to Average Net Assets:
Net expenses			1.66	%6			1.68	%5			1.40	%			1.80	%			2.13	%
Gross expenses			1.66	%6			1.68	%5			1.40	%			1.80	%			2.13	%
Net investment income			0.73	%			0.74	%			0.48	%			0.48	%			0.10	%
Supplemental Data and Ratios
Net assets at end of year (000’s)		$	126,831			$	116,174			$	151,912			$	138,040			$	128,864
Average net assets during the year (000’s)		$	123,139			$	123,684			$	144,019			$	125,666			$	118,960
Portfolio turnover rate			14	%			15	%			11	%			12	%			18	%

---

1	Calculated using the average shares method.
2	Includes net realized and unrealized currency gains and losses.
3	Total investment return based on market value differs from total investments return based on net asset value due to changes in the relationship between the market value of the Fund’s shares and its NAV per share.
4	Less than 0.5 cents per share.
5	If interest expense and commitment fees had been excluded, the expense ratios would have been lower by 0.05% for the year ended December 31, 2022.
6	If interest expense and commitment fees had been excluded, the expense ratios would have been lower by 0.06% for the year ended December 31, 2023.

---

See Notes to Financial Statements.

25

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THE SWISS HELVETIA FUND, INC.

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Notes to Financial Statements

Note 1—Organization and Significant Accounting Policies

 

A. Organization

The Swiss Helvetia Fund, Inc. (the “Fund”) is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Act”), as a non-diversified, closed-end management investment company. The Fund is organized as a corporation under the laws of the State of Delaware.

 

The investment objective of the Fund is to seek long-term growth of capital through investment in equity and equity-linked securities of Swiss companies. The Fund may also acquire and hold equity and equity-linked securities of non-Swiss companies in limited instances.

 

B. Securities Valuation

The Fund values its investments in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”).

 

When valuing listed equity securities, the Fund uses the last sale price on the securities exchange or national securities market on which such securities primarily are traded (the “Primary Market”) prior to the calculation of the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”). When valuing equity securities that are not listed (except privately-held companies and private equity limited partnerships) or that are listed but have not traded on a day on which the Fund calculates its NAV, the Fund uses the mean between the bid and asked prices for that day. If there are no asked quotations for such a security, the value of such security will be the most recent bid quotation on the Primary Market on that day. On any day when a security’s Primary Market is closed because of a local holiday or other scheduled closure, but the New York Stock Exchange is open, the Fund may use the prior day’s closing prices to value such security regardless of the length of the scheduled closing.

 

When valuing fixed-income securities, if any, the Fund uses the last bid price prior to the calculation of the Fund’s NAV. If there is no current bid price for a fixed-income security, the value of such security will be the mean between the last quoted bid and asked prices on that day. Overnight and certain other short-term fixed-income securities with maturities of less than 60 days will be valued by the amortized cost method, unless it is determined that the amortized cost method would not represent the fair value of such security.

 

In accordance with Rule 2a-5 under the Act, the Fund’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) has designated the Fund’s investment adviser, Schroder Investment Management North America Inc., as the Fund’s valuation designee (the “Valuation Designee”) for purposes of determining fair value in good faith of securities for which market quotations are not readily available, or for which the market quotations that are available are considered unreliable (a “Fair Value”). The Valuation Designee may use the Fund’s fair valuation procedures to establish the Fair Value of securities when, for example, a significant event occurs between the time the market closes and the time the Valuation Designee values its investments. After consideration of various factors, the Valuation Designee may value the securities at their last reported price or at some other value.

 

Swiss exchange-listed options, if any, including Eurex-listed options, are valued at their most recent sale price (latest bid for long options and the latest ask for short options) on the Primary Market, or

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THE SWISS HELVETIA FUND, INC.

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Notes to Financial Statements (continued)

if there are no such sales, at the average of the most recent bid and asked quotations on such Primary Market, or if such quotations are not available, at the last bid quotation (in the case of purchased options) or the last asked quotation (in the case of written options). If, however, there are no such quotations, such options will be valued using the implied volatilities observed forsimilar options or from aggregated data as an input to a model. Options traded in the over-the-counter market, if any, are valued at the price communicated by the counterparty to the option, which typically is the price at which the counterparty would close out the transaction. Option contracts, if any, that are neither exchange-listed nor traded in the over-the-counter market, and where no broker can provide a quote or approved pricing vendor a price, may be valued using the implied volatilities observed for similar instruments or from aggregated market data received from services (e.g., Bloomberg) as an input to a widely accepted model.

 

The Fund is permitted to invest in investments that do not have readily available market quotations. For such investments, the Valuation Designee determines their Fair Value. The aggregate value of these investments amounted to $1,346,338, or 1.06% of the Fund’s net assets at December 31, 2023 and are listed in Note 3 to the Schedule of Investments.

 

Various inputs are used to determine the value of the Fund’s investments. These inputs are summarized in the three broad levels listed below:

 

Level 1—	unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities
Level 2—	other significant observable inputs (including quoted prices of similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk, etc.)
Level 3—	significant unobservable inputs (including the Fund’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments)

The inputs or methodology used for valuing securities are not an indication of the risk associated with investing in those securities.

 

The following is a summary of the inputs used to value the Fund’s investments as of December 31, 2023:

						Level 2				Level 3				Investments
		Level 1				Other Significant				Significant				Valued at
		Quoted Prices				Observable Inputs				Unobservable Inputs				NAV**				Total
Investments in Securities*
Common Stock		$	122,681,176			$	—			$	1,341,160			$	—			$	124,022,336
Preferred Stock			—				—				5,178				—				5,178
Limited Partnership			—				—				—				997,278				997,278
Total Investments in Securities		$	122,681,176			$	—			$	1,346,338			$	997,278			$	125,024,792

*

Please see the Schedule of Investments for industry classifications.

**

As of December 31, 2023, certain of the Fund’s investments were valued using net asset value (“NAV”) per share (or its equivalent) as a practical expedient for fair value and have been excluded from the fair value hierarchy in accordance with ASU 2015-07. The fair value amount presented in this table is intended to permit reconciliation of the amounts presented in the fair value hierarchy to the amounts presented in the statement of assets and liabilities.

27

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THE SWISS HELVETIA FUND, INC.

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Notes to Financial Statements (continued)

The Fund values its investment in a private equity limited partnership in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification 820-10-35, “Investments in Certain Entities that Calculate Net Asset Value Per Share (Or its Equivalent)” (“ASC 820-10-35”). ASC 820-10-35 permits a reporting entity to measure the fair value of an investment that does not have a readily determinable fair value, based on the NAV of the investment as a practical expedient, without further adjustment, unless it is probable that the investment will be sold at a value significantly different than the NAV. If the NAV of the investment is not as of the Fund’s measurement date, then the NAV shouldbe adjusted to reflect any significant events that may change the valuation. Inputs and valuation techniques for these adjustments may include fair valuations of the partnership and its portfolio holdings provided by the partnership’s general partner or manager, other available information about the partnership’s portfolio holdings, values obtained on redemption from other limited partners, discussions with the partnership’s general partner or manager and/or other limited partners and comparisons of previously-obtained estimates to the partnership’s audited financial statements. In using the unadjusted NAV as a practical expedient, certain attributes of the investment that may impact its fair value are not considered. Attributes of those investments include the investment strategies of the privately held companies and may also include, but are not limited to, restrictions on the investor’s ability to redeem its investments at the measurement date and any unfunded commitments.

 

Inputs and valuation techniques used by the Valuation Designee to value the Fund’s Level 3 investments in privately-held companies may include the following: acquisition cost; fundamental analytical data; discounted cash flow analysis; nature and duration of restrictions on disposition of the investment; public trading of similar securities of similar issuers; economic outlook and condition of the industry in which the issuer participates; financial condition of the issuer; and the issuer’s prospects, including any recent or potential management or capital structure changes. Although these valuation inputs may be observable in the marketplace as is characteristic of Level 2 investments, the privately-held companies, categorized as Level 3 investments, generally are highly illiquid in terms of resale.

 

When valuing Level 3 investments, management also may consider potential events that could have a material impact on the operations of a privately-held company. Not all of these factors may be considered or available, and other relevant factors may be considered on an investment-by-investment basis. The table below summarizes the techniques and unobservable inputs for the valuation of Level 3 investments.

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THE SWISS HELVETIA FUND, INC.

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Notes to Financial Statements (continued)

Quantitative Information about certain Level 3 Fair Value Measurements

---

		Value at
		December 31, 2023			Valuation Technique	Unobservable Inputs		Range1
Healthcare-Products
EyeSense AG, Series A—Common Shares		$	1,490		Market approach	Based on expected sale			N/A
						proceeds due to sale back
						of shares of Eyesense
Spineart SA—Common Shares			1,339,670		Market approach	Based on listed trading			15-25	%
						multiples, cross checked to
						secondary share purchase
						with additional discount for
						lack of marketability
Industrial Goods & Services
SelFrag AG Class A—Preferred Shares			5,178		Market approach	Based on expected sale			N/A
						proceeds due to sale back
						of shares of Selfrag
Total		$	1,346,338

1	Significant changes in any of these ranges would result in a significantly higher or lower fair value measurement. A change in the discount rate is accompanied by a directionally opposite change in fair value.

The following is a reconciliation of Level 3 assets for which significant unobservable inputs were used to determine fair value.

 

		Common				Preferred
		Stock				Stock				Total
Balance as of December 31, 2022		$	1,384,260			$	48,722			$	1,432,982
Change in Unrealized Appreciation/Depreciation			(43,100	)			(43,544	)			(86,644	)
Net Realized Gain (Loss)			—				—				—
Gross Purchases			—				—				—
Gross Sales			—				—				—
Transfer out of Level 3			—				—				—
Balance as of December 31, 2023		$	1,341,160			$	5,178			$	1,346,338
Change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) during the period
for Level 3 investments held at December 31, 2023			(43,100	)			(43,544	)			(86,644	)

 

C. Derivative Instruments

GAAP requires enhanced disclosure that enables investors to understand how and why an entity uses derivatives, how derivatives are accounted for, and how derivative instruments affect an entity's results of operations and financial position.

 

The Fund did not hold any derivative instruments during the year ended December 31, 2023.

 

D. Securities Transactions and Investment Income

Securities transactions are recorded on the trade date. Realized gains and losses are determined by comparing the proceeds of a sale or the cost of a purchase to a specific offsetting transaction.

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THE SWISS HELVETIA FUND, INC.

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Notes to Financial Statements (continued)

Dividend income, net of any foreign taxes withheld, is recorded on the ex-dividend date. Interest income, including amortization of premium and accretion of discount, is accrued daily. Estimated expenses are also accrued daily.

 

The Fund records Swiss withholding tax as a reduction of dividend income, net of any amount reclaimable from Swiss tax authorities in accordance with the tax treaty between the United States and Switzerland.

 

Distributions received from securities that represent a return of capital or capital gains are recorded as a reduction of cost of investment and/or as a realized gain.

 

E. Distributions

The Fund makes distributions at least annually to the extent it has any federally taxable net investment income and makes distributions of any net realized capital gains to the extent that they exceed any capital loss carryforwards. The Fund determines the size and nature of these distributions in accordance with provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). The Fund records dividends and distributions on the ex-dividend date.

 

In May 2018, the Board adopted a managed distribution policy that permits the Fund to distribute long-term capital gains more frequently than once per year as permitted by the Act. Distributions under the managed distribution plan may consist of net investment income, net realized short-term capital gains, net realized long-term capital gains and, to the extent necessary, return of capital (or other capital sources). In August 2018, the Board suspended until further notice any distributions that would otherwise be payable pursuant to the managed distribution policy. In November 2019, the Board approved the resumption of distributions pursuant to the managed distribution policy. The Board may change or terminate the managed distribution policy at any time without prior notice to Fund stockholders, which could have an adverse effect on the market price of the Fund’s shares. On March 31, 2023, June 30, 2023 and September 29, 2023, in accordance with the Fund’s managed distribution policy as then in effect, the Fund paid quarterly distributions of $0.12285 per share of the Fund’s common stock to all stockholders of record as of March 22, 2023, June 21, 2023 and September 20, 2023, respectively. On December 29, 2023, in accordance with the Fund’s managed distribution policy, the Fund paid a distribution of $0.129 per share of the Fund’s common stock to all stockholders of record as of December 19, 2023.

 

F. Federal Income Taxes

The Fund’s policy is to continue to comply with the requirements of the Code that are applicable to regulated investment companies and to distribute all its taxable income to its stockholders. Therefore, no federal income tax provision is required.

 

Income and capital gain distributions are determined in accordance with federal income tax regulations, which may differ from GAAP. See Note 5 for federal income tax treatment of foreign currency gains/losses.

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THE SWISS HELVETIA FUND, INC.

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Notes to Financial Statements (continued)

Management has analyzed the Fund’s tax positions taken on federal income tax returns for all open tax years and has concluded that no provision for federal income tax is required in the Fund’s financial statements. The Fund files federal tax returns which remain open for examination generally for the current year and the three prior years. In addition, the Fund holds investments in Switzerland and other foreign tax jurisdictions. Withholding taxes on foreign interest and dividends have been provided for in accordance with each applicable country’s tax rules and rates.

 

G. Foreign Currency Translation

The Fund maintains its accounting records in U.S. dollars. The Fund’s assets are invested primarily in Swiss equities. In addition, the Fund can make its temporary investments in Swiss franc-denominated bank deposits, short-term debt securities and money market instruments. Substantially all income received by the Fund is in Swiss francs. The Fund’s NAV, however, is reported, and distributions from the Fund are made, in U.S. dollars, resulting in gain or loss from currency conversions in the ordinary course of business. Historically, the Fund has not entered into transactions designed to reduce currency risk and does not intend to do so in the future. The cost basis of foreign denominated assets and liabilities is determined on the date that they are first recorded within the Fund and translated to U.S. dollars. These assets and liabilities are subsequently valued each day at prevailing exchange rates. The difference between the original cost and current value denominated in U.S. dollars is recorded as unrealized foreign currency gain/loss. In valuing securities transactions, the receipt of income and the payment of expenses, the Fund uses the prevailing exchange rate on the transaction date.

 

Net realized and unrealized gains and losses on foreign currency shown in the Fund’s financial statements result from the sale of foreign currencies, from currency gains or losses realized between the trade and settlement dates of securities transactions, and from the difference between the amounts of dividends, interest and foreign withholding taxes recorded on the Fund’s books and the U.S. dollar equivalent of the amounts actually received or paid.

 

When calculating realized and unrealized gains or losses on investments, the Fund does not separate the gain or loss attributable to changes in the foreign currency price of the security from the gain or loss attributable to the change in the U.S. dollar value of the foreign currency. Other foreign currency translations resulting in realized and unrealized gain or loss are disclosed separately.

 

H. Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the increases and decreases in net assets from operations during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

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THE SWISS HELVETIA FUND, INC.

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Notes to Financial Statements (continued)

I. Concentration of Market Risk

The Fund primarily invests in securities of Swiss issuers. Such investments may carry certain risks not ordinarily associated with investments in securities of U.S. issuers. These risks include future political and economic developments, unfavorable movements in the Swiss franc relative to the U.S. dollar, and the possible imposition of exchange controls and changes in governmental law and restrictions. In addition, concentrations of investments in securities of issuers located in a specific region expose the Fund to the economic and government policies of that region and may increase risk compared to a fund whose investments are more diversified.

 

Note 2—Fees and Transactions with Affiliates

Schroder Investment Management North America Inc. (“SIMNA”) and its affiliate, Schroder Investment Management North America Limited (“SIMNA Ltd” and together with SIMNA, “Schroders”), serve as the Fund’s investment adviser and investment sub-adviser, respectively. The Fund pays SIMNA an annual advisory fee of 0.70% of the Fund’s average month-end net assets up to $250 million, 0.60% of such assets in excess of $250 million and up to $350 million, 0.55% of such assets in excess of $350 million and up to $450 million, 0.50% of such assets in excess of $450 million and up to $550 million, and 0.45% of such assets in excess of $550 million. As compensation for its investment sub-advisory services, SIMNA Ltd receives 63% of the advisory fee paid by the Fund to SIMNA.

 

The Fund pays each Director who is not an “interested person” (as such term is defined in the Act) of the Fund or Schroders (“Non-Interested Directors”), $42,000 annually in compensation, except for the Chairman of the Board to whom the Fund pays an annual fee of $56,000 and for the Chairs of the Audit, the Pricing and the Governance/Nominating Committees to each of whom the Fund pays an annual fee of $48,000. In addition, the Fund pays each Non-Interested Director $2,000 for each Board meeting attended in person, and $750 for each Board meeting attended by telephone. Each Director who is a member of a Committee will be paid a fee of $750 for each Committee meeting attended, whether in person or by telephone. The Board or a Committee may establish ad hoc committees or subcommittees. Any Committee or sub-committee member may be compensated by the Fund for incremental work outside of the regular meeting process based on the value determined to be added to the Fund. In July 2018, the Board approved a change to its By-Laws and Board committee charters to provide that each Director who is not an “interested person” of Schroders or its affiliates will be entitled to receive the above fees. The Fund pays an annual fee of $25,000 to the President and Chief Executive Officer, $30,000 to the Chief Financial Officer, $25,000 to the Secretary and $54,000 to the Chief Compliance Officer of the Fund.

 

Note 3—Other Service Providers

Equiniti Trust Company, LLC is the Fund’s transfer agent. U.S. Bank, N.A. serves as the Fund’s custodian and U.S. Bancorp Fund Services, LLC, doing business as U.S. Bank Global Fund Services, provides administration and portfolio accounting services to the Fund. The Fund pays these service providers’ fees, which are accrued daily and paid monthly.

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THE SWISS HELVETIA FUND, INC.

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Notes to Financial Statements (continued)

In addition to its other service provider fees, the Fund incurs certain professional fees, including fees of its outside legal counsel as well as fees of its independent registered public accounting firm. Those fees vary depending on the nature of the Fund’s activities each year.

 

Note 4—Capital Share Transactions

The Fund is authorized to issue up to 50 million shares of capital stock. Transactions in capital shares were as follows:

 

		For the Year Ended								For the Year Ended
		December 31, 2023								December 31, 2022
		Shares				Amount				Shares				Amount
Dividends Reinvested			—			$	—				—			$	—
Repurchased through Stock Repurchase Program (Note 6)			(205,045	)			(1,687,724	)			(16,504	)			(120,928	)
Repurchased from Tender Offer (Note 7)			—				—				—				—
Net Increase/(Decrease)			(205,045	)		$	(1,687,724	)			(16,504	)		$	(120,928	)

 

Note 5—Federal Income Tax and Investment Transactions

The tax character of distributions paid during 2023 and 2022 were as follows:

 

		2023				2022
Ordinary Income		$	2,489,577			$	810,137
Return of Capital			691,968				5,241,653
Long-Term Capital Gains			3,306,885				2,167,057
Total		$	6,488,430			$	8,218,847

Under current tax law, capital losses and specified ordinary losses realized after October 31 may be deferred and treated as occurring on the first business day of the following fiscal year. The Fund did not defer any post-October capital and currency losses and other late-year deferrals for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023.

 

Capital loss carryovers retain their character as either long-term capital losses or short-term capital losses and are applied as a new loss on the first day of the immediately succeeding tax year. During the tax year ending December 31, 2023, the Fund did not have any capital loss carryovers.

33

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THE SWISS HELVETIA FUND, INC.

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Notes to Financial Statements (continued)

At December 31, 2023, the components of distributable earnings on a tax basis were as follows:

 

Tax cost of investments		$	86,488,037
Unrealized appreciation			48,523,318
Unrealized depreciation			(9,986,563	)
Net unrealized appreciation			38,536,755
Net unrealized on foreign currency			119,189
Undistributed ordinary income			—
Undistributed long-term capital gains			—
Distributable earnings			—
Other accumulated losses			(30,439	)
Total distributable earnings		$	38,625,505

The differences between book basis and tax basis distributable earnings are primarily attributable to tax deferral of wash sales and investments in partnerships.

 

Gains and losses from foreign currency transactions are treated as ordinary income and loss, respectively, for federal income tax purposes.

 

The following summarizes all distributions declared by the Fund during the year ended December 31, 2023:

 

Record Date	Payable Date		Ordinary Income				Return of Capital				ST Cap Gains				LT Cap Gains				Total Distribution
3/22/23	3/31/23		$	0.04139848			$	0.01310152			$	0.00574			$	0.06261			$	0.12285
6/21/23	6/30/23			0.04139848				0.01310152				0.00574				0.06261				0.12285
9/20/23	9/29/23			0.04139848				0.01310152				0.00574				0.06261				0.12285
12/19/23	12/29/23			0.04346261				0.01375739				0.00603				0.06575				0.12900
																			$	0.49755

There were no reclassifications made between total distributable earnings and paid-in capital.

 

Note 6—Stock Repurchase Program

Pursuant to authorization by the Board, the Fund began open market purchases of its common stock on the New York Stock Exchange in 1999. The Board has authorized a stock repurchase program permitting such purchases by the Fund in each subsequent year, except for 2014. The principal purpose of the stock repurchase program has been to enhance stockholder value by increasing the Fund’s NAV per share.

 

On December 7, 2018, the Fund announced the Board’s approval of the Fund’s stock repurchase program for 2019. Under the 2019 program, the Fund was authorized to make open-market repurchases of its common stock of up to 250,000 shares. The Fund did not repurchase any common stock pursuant to the program during the year ended December 31, 2019. On December 13, 2019, the Fund announced the Board’s approval of the Fund’s stock repurchase plan for 2020 of up to 250,000 shares of common stock. During the year ended December 31, 2020, the Fund

34

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THE SWISS HELVETIA FUND, INC.

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Notes to Financial Statements (continued)

repurchased 54,857 shares of its capital stock in the open market at a cost of $449,102. The weighted average discount of these purchases comparing the average purchase price to net asset value at the close of the New York Stock Exchange was 16.33%.

On December 12, 2020, the Board approved the Fund’s stock repurchase plan for 2021 of up to 250,000 shares of common stock. The Fund did not repurchase any common stock pursuant to the plan during the year ended December 31, 2021. On December 10, 2021, the Board approved the Fund’s stock repurchase program for 2022 of up to 250,000 shares of common stock. During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Fund repurchased 16,504 shares of its capital stock in the open market at a cost of $120,928. The weighted average discount of these purchases comparing the average purchase price to net asset value at the close of the New York Stock Exchange was 14.09%.

 

On December 15, 2022, the Board approved the Fund’s stock repurchase program for 2023 of up to 250,000 shares of common stock. During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Fund repurchased 205,045 shares of its capital stock in the open market at a cost of $1,687,724. The weighted average discount of these purchases comparing the average purchase price to net asset value at the close of the New York Stock Exchange was 16.32%.

 

The Fund intends to repurchase shares of its common stock, at such times and in such amounts as is deemed advisable and in accordance with applicable law, subject to various factors, including the limitations imposed by the federal securities laws governing the repurchase of an issuer’s stock by the issuer and the Fund’s available cash to repurchase shares of the Fund’s common stock below NAV.

 

Note 7—Capital Commitments

As of December 31, 2023, the Fund maintains an illiquid investment in one private equity limited partnership. This investment appears in the Fund’s Schedule of Investments. The Fund’s capital commitment for this partnership is shown in the table below:

 

		Original Capital				Unfunded
Investments		Commitment*				Commitment*
Private Equity Limited Partnership—International(a)
Aravis Biotech II, Limited Partnership		$	3,861,463			$	—

*

The original capital commitment represents 3,250,000 Swiss francs, which has been fully funded as of December 31, 2023. The Swiss franc/U.S. dollar exchange rate as of December 31, 2023 was used for conversion and equaled 0.84165 as of such date.

(a)

This category consists of one private equity limited partnership that invests primarily in venture capital companies in the biotechnology and medical technology sectors. There is no redemption right for the interest in this limited partnership. Instead, the nature of investments in this category is that distributions are received through the realization of the underlying assets of the limited partnership.

 

Note 8—Investment Transactions

The aggregate cost of purchases and proceeds from sales of investments, other than short-term obligations, for the year ended December 31, 2023 were $16,922,326 and $22,216,493, respectively.

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THE SWISS HELVETIA FUND, INC.

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Notes to Financial Statements (concluded)

Note 9—Credit Facility

The Fund and U.S. Bank, National Association (“U.S. Bank”) are party to a credit agreement, dated as of March 30, 2022 and amended March 29, 2023, pursuant to which U.S. Bank has made available to the Fund a $15,000,000 committed credit facility. For the period January 1, 2023 through March 28, 2023, interest is charged on outstanding borrowings under the credit facility at the annual rate of the prime rate minus 2.10%. The Fund is responsible for paying a commitment fee to U.S. Bank on the unused portion of the credit facility at an annual rate of (i) 0.250% of the unused amount of the credit facility if the used amount of the credit facility is less than 75% of the credit facility or (ii) 0.175% of the unused amount of the credit facility if the used amount of the credit facility is 75% or more of the credit facility. For the period March 29, 2023 through December 31, 2023, interest is charged on outstanding borrowings under the credit facility at the annual rate of the prime rate minus 2.00%. The Fund is responsible for paying a commitment fee to U.S. Bank on the unused portion of the credit facility at an annual rate of (i) 0.350% of the unused amount of the credit facility if the used amount of the credit facility is less than 50% of the credit facility or (ii) 0.200% of the unused amount of the credit facility if the used amount of the credit facility is 50% or more of the credit facility. The credit facility will terminate on March 27, 2024. The Fund has pledged its assets as collateral to secure its obligations under the credit agreement. The Fund retains the risk and rewards of the ownership of the assets pledged to secure its obligations under the credit agreement. As of December 31, 2023, the amount of total outstanding borrowings under the credit agreement was $0.

 

For the year ended December 31, 2023, the Fund’s activity under the credit facility activity was as follows:

 

					Weighted
Maximum Amount	Average Daily	Maximum Amount	Interest	Commitment	Average
Available	Borrowings	Outstanding	Expense	Fee	Interest Rate
$15,000,000	$319,203	$4,811,000	$21,036	$48,472	6.50%

 

Note 10—Subsequent Events

The Fund has evaluated the need for disclosures and/or adjustments resulting from subsequent events through the date financial statements were available to be issued.  Based on this evaluation, no adjustments or additional disclosures were deemed to be required to the financial statements as of December 31, 2023.

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THE SWISS HELVETIA FUND, INC.

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Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the Stockholders and Board of Directors of The Swiss Helvetia Fund, Inc.

 

Opinion on the Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities of The Swiss Helvetia Fund, Inc. (the “Fund”), including the schedule of investments, as of December 31, 2023, the related statements of operations and cash flows for the year then ended, the statements of changes in net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, and financial highlights for each of the five years in the period then ended, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Fund as of December 31, 2023, the results of its operations and its cash flows for the year then ended, the changes in its net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended, and the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

 

Basis for Opinion

These financial statements are the responsibility of the Fund’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Fund’s financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”) and are required to be independent with respect to the Fund in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB. We have served as the Fund’s auditor since 2016.

 

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Fund is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Fund’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.

 

Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of December 31, 2023 by correspondence with the custodian and other issuers. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

 

TAIT, WELLER & BAKER LLP

 

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

February 29, 2024

 

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THE SWISS HELVETIA FUND, INC.

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Fund Investment Objective, Principal Investment

December 31, 2023

Strategies and Principal Risks (Unaudited)

The following information in this annual report is a summary of certain information about the Fund.

 

Recent Changes:

This section summarizes certain changes since December 31, 2022. This information may not reflect all of the changes that have occurred since you purchased shares of the Fund.

 

There have been no changes in investment policies not approved by stockholders since the Fund’s annual report to stockholders for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022.

 

Investment Objective and Principal Investment Strategies

The following summarizes the Fund’s current investment objective and principal investment strategies:

 

Investment Objective

The Fund’s investment objective is to seek long-term capital appreciation through investment in equity and equity-linked securities of Swiss companies.  The Fund also may acquire and hold equity and equity-linked securities of non-Swiss companies in the limited instance where: (1) the Fund holds an investment in a Swiss company, and (2) such Swiss company undergoes a merger, takeover, reorganization or other form of business combination with a non-Swiss issuer (a “reorganization”), or reorganizes (or “redomiciles”) itself as a new corporate entity outside of Switzerland, and (3) the Fund, as a stockholder in the Swiss company, acquires equity or equity-linked securities in the non-Swiss issuer as a result of the transaction.  The Fund would be permitted, but not required, to reacquire equity and equity-linked securities of Swiss companies that have redomiciled, so long as the Fund held an investment in the Swiss company at or before the time the company redomiciled. The Fund’s investment objective is fundamental and may not be changed without the approval of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities.

 

Principal Investment Strategies

The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by normally investing at least 80% of its net assets, plus borrowings for investment purposes, in Swiss-equity and equity linked securities that are traded on a Swiss stock exchange, traded at the pre-bourse level of one or more Swiss stock exchanges, traded through a market maker or over the counter in Switzerland.  The Fund also may invest in Swiss-equity and equity-linked securities of Swiss companies that are traded on other major European stock exchanges.  Equity and equity-linked securities include registered shares, bearer shares, participation and dividend certificates, convertible bonds and bonds with warrants attached and unattached warrants.

 

For defensive purposes, during a period in which changes in Swiss equity markets or other adverse economic conditions or changes in Swiss political conditions warrant, the Fund may temporarily reduce its position in equity securities and invest in Sfr-denominated bank deposits, short-term debt or money market instruments.

 

The Fund may invest in securities of Swiss Real Estate Companies (as defined below), and acquire, hold and sell real estate or mortgages on real estate acquired through default, liquidation or other distributions or an interest in real estate as a result of the Fund’s ownership of such securities.  Additionally, the

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THE SWISS HELVETIA FUND, INC.

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Fund Investment Objective, Principal Investment

December 31, 2023

Strategies and Principal Risks (Unaudited) (continued)

Fund may invest a portion of its assets in investment companies and in certain pooled investment vehicles, including those that invest in private equity by investing in private equity funds (so-called “funds of funds”) or by making direct investments, including in infrastructure projects and real estate investments.

 

The Fund is permitted to (i) leverage up to 10% of its total assets (including the amount borrowed) and (ii) engage in certain options transactions.  The Fund may borrow money for investment purposes and as a temporary measure for various purposes, including the payment of dividends.  The Fund may enter into options to hedge market risk and to generate income.

 

No assurance can be given that the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved.

 

Investment Philosophy and Process

In making investment decisions securities are evaluated for the opportunity for capital appreciation as well as for their potential to provide regular income and growth of income. The Adviser reviews each company’s potential for success in light of general economic and industry trends, as well as the company’s quality of management, financial condition, business plan, industry and sector market position, dividend payout ratio and corporate governance. Fundamental research efforts are enhanced through communication among the portfolio managers and the company’s management team, who conduct internal research and extract information from external research. The portfolio managers communicate frequently with external analysts, and in-person visits with company management, together with local knowledge, help to provide opinions critical to investing in Swiss companies. The macroeconomic environment is reflected in fair value models. It is also taken into account in portfolio construction, where disciplined risk diversification is applied. In addition, the Adviser incorporates financially material environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors into its investment process. The Adviser evaluates the impact and risk around issues such as climate change, environmental performance, labor standards and corporate governance, which it views as important in its assessment of a company’s risk and potential for profitability.

 

Common Stocks. The Fund primarily invests in equity and equity-linked securities in the form of common stock. Common stocks represent the residual ownership interest in the issuer and holders of common stock are entitled to the income and increase in the value of the assets and business of the issuer after all of its debt obligations and obligations to preferred stockholders are satisfied. Common stocks generally have voting rights. Common stocks fluctuate in price in response to many factors including historical and prospective earnings of the issuer, the value of its assets, general economic conditions, interest rates, investor perceptions and market liquidity.

 

Convertible Securities. The Fund may invest in convertible securities, which include fixed income securities that may be exchanged or converted into a predetermined number of shares of the issuer’s underlying common stock at the option of the holder during a specified period. Convertible securities may take the form of convertible preferred stock, convertible bonds or debentures, units consisting of bonds and warrants or a

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THE SWISS HELVETIA FUND, INC.

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Fund Investment Objective, Principal Investment

December 31, 2023

Strategies and Principal Risks (Unaudited) (continued)

combination of the features of several of these securities. Investment characteristics of convertible securities vary widely, which allows these securities to be employed for a variety of investment strategies.

 

Investment Companies and Other Pooled Investment Vehicles. The Fund may invest in other investment companies, and may invest up to 5% of its total assets in pooled investment vehicles that invest in private equity by investing in private equity funds (so-called “funds of funds”) or by making direct investments, including in infrastructure projects and real estate investments. The Fund is only permitted to invest in investment companies to the extent permitted by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), and as consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and policies. Investments in private equity funds and other pooled investment vehicles are not subject to the limitations on investing in investment companies imposed by the 1940 Act. Private equity funds are typically structured as either limited partnerships or limited liability companies

with a fixed-life, usually around ten years. The general partner of the private equity fund, who also is typically its adviser, makes investments, monitors them and finally exits them for a return on behalf of the limited partners, which are investors such as the Fund. The private equity fund’s assets are typically invested within three to five years, and after all investments are fully divested, the private equity fund can be terminated.

 

Illiquid and Restricted Securities. The Fund may invest up to 10% of its total assets in illiquid securities (i.e., securities that are not readily marketable). For this purpose, illiquid securities include, but are not limited to, restricted securities (securities the disposition of which is restricted under the Federal securities laws) and securities that may be resold pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act, but that are deemed to be illiquid. It is expected that these illiquid securities will generally consist of equity or equity-linked securities purchased in privately negotiated transactions.

 

Swiss Real Estate Companies. The Fund may invest in equity and equity-linked securities issued by Swiss real estate companies, including Real Estate Investment Trusts (“REITs”) or REIT-like structures (“Swiss Real Estate Companies”). The Fund considers a real estate company to be a company that derives at least 50% of its revenue from the ownership, construction, financing, management or sale of commercial, industrial or residential real estate or has at least 50% of its assets in real estate investments. The Fund considers a real estate company to be a Swiss Real Estate Company if it: (1) is organized in or has its principal office in Switzerland or (2) has a significant amount of real estate assets or investments in Switzerland, even if it is organized or its principal office is outside of Switzerland. The Fund’s investment in Swiss Real Estate Companies is deemed to be an investment in Swiss equity or equity-linked securities for purposes of the Fund’s investment objective.

 

Options Transactions. The Fund may engage in the following options transactions: (i) buying calls on securities in which the Fund can invest; (ii) buying calls on Swiss stock indices; (iii) writing covered calls on securities in which the Fund can invest; (iv) buying puts on these types of securities; and (v) buying puts on Swiss stock

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THE SWISS HELVETIA FUND, INC.

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Fund Investment Objective, Principal Investment

December 31, 2023

Strategies and Principal Risks (Unaudited) (continued)

indices. The Fund may engage in these options transactions on an established Swiss exchange, European exchange (e.g., Eurex) or through privately negotiated transactions referred to as over-the-counter options. The Adviser may utilize options contracts to manage the Fund’s exposure to changing security prices.

 

Principal Risks

The following summarizes the principal risks of an investment in the Fund:

 

General Risks of Investing in the Fund

 

Investment and Market Risk. An investment in the Fund is subject to investment risk, including the possible loss of the entire amount that you invest. Common stock prices, including the prices of shares of the Fund’s Common Stock are sensitive to general movements in the stock market. Securities of a company may decline in value due to its financial prospects and activities, including certain operational impacts, such as data breaches and cybersecurity attacks. Securities may also decline in value due to general market and economic movements and trends, including adverse changes to credit markets, inflation, supply chain disruptions, and labor shortages, or as a result of other events such as geopolitical events, including, in particular, armed conflict such as is being experienced in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, natural disasters, or widespread pandemics or other adverse public health developments.  As part of the Advisers’ investment strategy, the Adviser evaluates certain factors as part of its fundamental analysis, including financially material ESG factors.  The analysis of these factors may not work as intended.  Market prices of the Fund’s shares of Common Stock

may be affected by investors’ perceptions regarding closed-end funds generally or the Fund’s specific underlying investments.

 

Market Price Discount from Net Asset Value. Shares of closed-end investment companies frequently trade at a discount from net asset value. This is a risk separate and distinct from the risk that the Fund’s net asset value will decrease. The Fund cannot predict whether shares of its Common Stock will trade at, above or below net asset value, but the Fund’s Common Stock has generally traded at a discount.

 

Foreign Securities Risk. In addition to the specific risks associated with investing in Swiss securities (see, “Risk Factors—General Risks of Investing in Swiss Securities—Swiss Securities Risk”), foreign investments generally may involve certain considerations and risks not typically associated with those of domestic origin as a result of, among other things, the possibility of political and economic developments and the level of governmental supervision and regulation of foreign securities markets.

 

Equity Securities Risk. Common stock holds the lowest priority in the capital structure of a company, and therefore takes the largest share of the company’s risk and its accompanying volatility. An adverse event, such as an unfavorable earnings report, may depress the value of a particular common stock. Also, prices of common stocks are sensitive to general market movements.

 

Convertible Securities Risk. Convertible securities are bonds, debentures, notes, preferred securities or other securities that may be converted or exchanged (by the holder or the issuer) into shares of the underlying common stock (or cash or securities of equivalent value),

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THE SWISS HELVETIA FUND, INC.

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Fund Investment Objective, Principal Investment

December 31, 2023

Strategies and Principal Risks (Unaudited) (continued)

either at a stated price or stated rate. Convertible securities have characteristics similar to both fixed income and equity securities. Convertible securities generally are subordinated to other similar but nonconvertible securities of the same issuer, although convertible bonds, as corporate debt obligations, enjoy seniority in right of payment to all equity securities, and convertible preferred stock is senior to common stock, of the same issuer.

 

Illiquid and Restricted Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in restricted securities and other investments that may be illiquid. Illiquid investments involve the risk that the securities will not be able to be sold at the time desired by the Fund or at prices approximating the value at which the Fund is carrying the securities on its books.

 

The Fund also may be subject to a heightened liquidity risk in respect of its investments in private equity securities, including: (i) lack of a public market; (ii) dependence on an exit strategy, such as an initial public offering or sale of a business, which may not occur to realize the anticipated value of an investment or even dispose of the investment without a significant or total loss; and (iii) dependence on managerial assistance provided by other investors and the willingness of other investors or third parties to provide additional financial support to the issuer.

 

Investing in Investment Companies and Other Pooled Investment Vehicles. The Fund’s stockholders will be subject to duplicative expenses to the extent the Fund invests in other investment companies or pooled investment vehicles. A profit-sharing fee arrangement may create incentives for an adviser or manager to take greater investment risks in an attempt to realize a higher profit participation percentage. The securities of other investment companies and pooled investment vehicles also may be leveraged and may, depending on the extent of leverage, be subject to greater leverage risks than to which the Fund is subject. Investment companies and pooled investment vehicles in which the Fund may invest may have investment policies that differ from those of the Fund. In addition, the Fund will be dependent upon the investment and research abilities of persons other than the Adviser.

 

Investments in private equity funds are “illiquid.” It will be difficult for the Fund to gain access to, or liquidate, its capital contribution as those assets are “locked-up” in long-term investments by the private equity fund that usually last for approximately ten years and sometimes longer. Distributions are made only as investments are converted to cash, and the Fund typically will have no right to demand that sales be made. As such, the Fund and its stockholders may not see a realized return on an investment in a private equity fund for a number of years after its initial capital contribution.

 

Investing in private equity funds presents the additional risk that the Fund may have limited access to information concerning the underlying fund and its investments. For funds that are not listed on an exchange, the Adviser will fair value the Fund’s investment pursuant to procedures approved by the Fund’s Board of Directors. Although the Adviser will review the valuations provided by the funds, the Adviser may not be able to confirm independently the accuracy of such valuations.

 

Swiss Real Estate Company Risk. In addition to the general risks associated with investing in Swiss

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THE SWISS HELVETIA FUND, INC.

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Fund Investment Objective, Principal Investment

December 31, 2023

Strategies and Principal Risks (Unaudited) (continued)

equity and equity-linked securities, the Fund’s investments in Swiss Real Estate Companies will be linked to the performance of the Swiss real estate markets. The Fund will not generally invest in real estate directly, and will typically invest only in securities issued by Swiss Real Estate Companies. However, the Fund also is subject to the risks associated with the direct ownership of real estate. These risks include: (i) declines in the value of real estate; (ii) risks related to general and local economic conditions; (iii) overbuilding and extended vacancies of properties; (iv) increases in property taxes and operating expenses; (v) costs and liabilities associated with environmental problems; and (vi) casualty or condemnation losses. The yields available from investments in real estate depend on the amount of income and capital appreciation generated by the related properties. Property values may fall due to increasing vacancies or declining rents resulting from unanticipated economic, legal, cultural or technological developments. Performance of investments in REITs and REIT-like structures may decline as a result of the failure of borrowers to pay their loans and poor management. Income and real estate values also may be adversely affected by such factors as applicable laws, interest rate levels and the availability of financing. In addition, real estate investments are relatively illiquid and, therefore, the ability of real estate companies to vary their portfolios promptly in response to changes in economic or other conditions is limited.

 

Options Risk. The Fund is permitted, but not required, to engage in certain options transactions (relating to securities in which the Fund can invest and Swiss stock indices) which are considered derivative instruments. The use of these options involves risks different from or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in the underlying assets. The Adviser’s may utilize options to manage the Fund’s exposure to changing security prices. Successful use by the Fund of options will be subject to the Adviser’s ability to predict correctly movements in the prices of securities and indices underlying options and the stock market generally. To the extent the Adviser’s predictions are incorrect, the Fund may incur losses.

 

Leverage Risk. Using leverage is a speculative investment technique. The use of leverage may result in higher volatility of the net asset value and the market value of the Fund’s Common Stock. Because the interest rates on borrowings may vary, the Fund’s return will fall if interest rates rise and the Fund’s income will fluctuate. If the market value of the Fund’s portfolio declines, the leverage will result in a greater decrease in net asset value than if the Fund were not leveraged. The Fund will pay any costs and expenses relating to any borrowings. To the extent that the Fund is required or elects to prepay any borrowings, the Fund may need to liquidate investments to fund such prepayments. Liquidation at times of adverse economic conditions may result in capital loss and reduce returns. There can be no assurance that any leverage strategy the Fund employs will be successful.

 

General Risks of Investing in Swiss Securities

Swiss Securities Risk. Trading in Swiss equities involves certain risks and special considerations not usually associated with investing in securities of established U.S. companies, including (i) risks related to the nature of the market for Swiss equities, including the risk that the Swiss equities markets may be affected

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Fund Investment Objective, Principal Investment

December 31, 2023

Strategies and Principal Risks (Unaudited) (continued)

by market developments in different ways than U.S. securities markets and may be more volatile than U.S. securities markets; (ii) political and economic risks with respect to Switzerland, including the possible imposition of, or changes in, currency exchange laws or other Swiss laws or restrictions applicable to investments in Swiss equities; and (iii) fluctuations in the rate of exchange between currencies and costs associated with currency conversion.

 

Swiss Market and Concentration Risk. The Swiss securities markets have substantially less trading volume than the U.S. securities markets. Additionally, the capitalization of the Swiss securities markets is highly concentrated. As of December 31, 2023, the top three holdings in the main overall performance index in Switzerland, the Swiss Performance Index, accounted for 42% of the index.  By comparison, as of the same date, the Fund has three holdings that exceed 5% of its net assets which, in the aggregate, constitute 39.4% of its net assets.  Securities of some companies located in Switzerland will be less liquid and more volatile than securities of comparable U.S. companies. This combination of lower volume and greater concentration in the Swiss securities markets may create a risk of greater price volatility than in the U.S. securities markets. Commissions for trading on Swiss exchanges are generally higher than commissions for trading on U.S. exchanges, although the Adviser seeks the most favorable net results (taking into account transaction costs) on the Fund’s portfolio transactions and, in certain instances, may be able to purchase portfolio investments on which commissions are negotiable. Further, Swiss markets typically have less government supervision compared to the U.S. markets.

 

Disclosure Standards Risk. Swiss reporting, accounting and auditing standards differ from U.S. standards in important respects. Swiss corporations, other than subsidiaries of U.S. companies, do not provide all of the disclosure required by U.S. law and accounting practice, and such disclosure may be less timely than required of U.S. companies by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) or under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”). As a result, less specific information may be available to investors in Swiss securities than to investors in U.S. securities. Swiss banks and insurance companies are subject to stricter disclosure requirements than other Swiss companies, but these rules are not as comprehensive as SEC or U.S. GAAP reporting standards.

 

Foreign Currency and Exchange Rate Risk. Substantially all of the Fund’s assets are invested in Swiss equities and equity-linked securities. In addition, the Fund makes its temporary investments in Swiss franc-denominated bank deposits, short-term debt securities and money market instruments. Substantially all income received by the Fund is in Swiss francs. The Fund’s net asset value, however, is reported, and distributions from the Fund are made, in U.S. dollars. Historically, the Fund has not entered into transactions designed to reduce currency risk and does not intend to do so in the future. Accordingly, currency risks in connection with investments in the Fund will be borne by investors. Therefore, the Fund’s reported net asset value and distributions could be adversely affected by devaluation of the Swiss franc relative to the U.S. dollar. In addition, the Fund computes its income at the foreign

 

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THE SWISS HELVETIA FUND, INC.

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Fund Investment Objective, Principal Investment

December 31, 2023

Strategies and Principal Risks (Unaudited) (continued)

exchange rate in effect on the day of its receipt by the Fund. If the value of the Swiss franc falls relative to the U.S. dollar between the date the Fund receives such income and the date it makes distributions, and, if the Fund has insufficient cash in U.S. dollars to meet distribution requirements, it may be required to liquidate securities in order to make distributions. There is no assurance that the Fund will be able to liquidate securities in order to meet such distribution requirements. Such liquidations, if required, also may adversely affect the Fund.

 

Tax Risk. Dividends and certain interest paid to the Fund by Swiss corporate entities will be subject to certain withholding taxes in Switzerland. Subject to certain limitations imposed by the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), foreign taxes withheld from distributions to the Fund or otherwise paid by the Fund may be creditable against taxes owed or deductible from income by U.S. stockholders for U.S. Federal income tax purposes if the Fund makes an election to treat the stockholders as having paid those taxes for U.S. Federal income tax purposes. The Fund’s ability to make such an election is subject to certain requirements in the Code. Although the Fund expects to be eligible to make such an election each year, and intends to do so if it is eligible, there is no assurance that the Fund will be eligible each year. If the election is made, the amount of such foreign taxes paid by the Fund will be includible as income to the stockholders for U.S. Federal income tax purposes. Non-U.S. investors may not be able to credit or deduct such foreign taxes, but may be deemed to have additional income from the Fund subject to U.S. withholding tax. Investors should review carefully the information discussed under “U.S. Federal Taxation” below and should discuss with their tax advisors the specific tax consequences of investing in the Fund.

 

Additional Risk Considerations

Cybersecurity Risk. With the increased use of technologies by Fund service providers to conduct business, such as the Internet, the Fund is susceptible to operational, information security and related risks. In general, cyber incidents can result from deliberate attacks or unintentional events. Cybersecurity failures by or breaches of the Adviser or the Fund’s administrator and other service providers (including, but not limited to, the custodian or transfer agent), and the issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, may disrupt and otherwise adversely affect their business operations. This may result in financial losses to the Fund, impede Fund trading, interfere with the Fund’s ability to calculate its NAV, interfere with Fund stockholders’ ability to transact business or cause violations of applicable privacy and other laws, regulatory fines, penalties, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs, or additional compliance costs.

 

Non-Diversified Status. The Fund is classified as “non-diversified” under the 1940 Act. A non-diversified fund has the ability to invest more of its assets in securities of a single issuer than if it were classified as a “diversified” fund, which may increase volatility. If the Fund’s investment in an issuer represents a relatively significant percentage of the Fund’s portfolio, the value of the Fund’s portfolio will be more impacted by a loss on that investment than if the portfolio were more diversified.

 

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THE SWISS HELVETIA FUND, INC.

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Fund Investment Objective, Principal Investment

December 31, 2023

Strategies and Principal Risks (Unaudited) (continued)

Risk of Anti-Takeover Provisions. The Fund has provisions in its Articles of Incorporation and By-laws that could have the effect of delaying, deferring, preventing or otherwise limiting the ability of other entities or persons to acquire control of the Fund, to cause the Fund to engage in certain transactions or to modify the Fund’s structure.

General Fund Investing Risks. The Fund is not a complete investment program and there is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. It is possible to lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit in a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.

 

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Additional Information (Unaudited)

 

This report is sent to the stockholders of the Fund for their information. It is not a prospectus, circular or representation intended for use in the purchase or sale of shares of the Fund or of any securities mentioned in this report.

 

Proxy Voting Information

A description of the policies and procedures that the Fund uses to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities is available, without charge and upon request, by calling [phone] and on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. The Fund’s proxy voting record for the twelve-month period ended June 30 is available, without charge and upon request, by calling [phone] and on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.

 

Availability of Quarterly Portfolio Schedules

The Fund files its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the SEC for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Part F of Form N-PORT. The Fund’s Part F of Form N-PORT are available on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.

 

Code of Ethics

The Board of Directors of the Fund and the Advisor have adopted Codes of Ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the Act and Rule 204A-1 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended the “Codes”). The Codes apply to the personal investing activities of various individuals including directors and officers of the Fund, the Fund’s portfolio managers and designated officers, directors and employees of the Advisor. The provisions of the Codes place restrictions on individuals who are involved in managing the Fund’s portfolio, who help execute the portfolio managers’ decisions or who come into possession of contemporaneous information concerning the investment activities of the Fund.

 

The fundamental principle of the Codes is that the individuals covered by the Codes have a fiduciary responsibility to the Fund and its stockholders. They are, therefore, required at all times to place the interests of the Fund and the stockholders first and to conduct all personal securities transactions in a manner so as to avoid any actual or potential conflict of interest or abuse of their position of trust.

 

Portfolio managers and other individuals, within the Advisor, with knowledge of Fund investment activities are prohibited from purchasing or selling a security during a blackout period of 30 calendar days before and after the date on which the Fund effects a trade in the same or a similar security. They are also prohibited from engaging in short-term trading of Swiss equity or equity-linked securities.

 

Additionally, the Fund’s portfolio managers are prohibited from participating in any initial public offering or private placement of Swiss equity and equity-linked securities and other covered individuals must obtain prior clearance before doing so.

 

The Advisor’s Code provides that any individual subject to such Code and who violates the provisions of the Code is required to reverse the transaction and to turn over any resulting profits to the Fund. The Fund and the Advisor have adopted compliance procedures and have appointed compliance officers to ensure that all covered individuals comply with the Codes.

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THE SWISS HELVETIA FUND, INC.

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Additional Information (Unaudited) (concluded)

 

Federal Tax Distribution Information

The Fund designates 100% of its ordinary income dividend distributions for the qualified dividend rate (QDI) as defined in Section 1(h)(11) of the Internal Revenue Code.

 

The amounts may differ from those elsewhere in this report because of difference between tax and financial reporting requirements. For federal income tax purposes, distributions from short-term capital gains are classified as ordinary income.  The Fund designated 12.18% of taxable ordinary income distributions designated as short-term capital gain distributions under Internal Revenue Section 871 (k)(2)(C).

 

The Fund intends to elect to pass through to stockholders the income tax credit for taxes paid to foreign countries. Foreign source income and foreign tax expense per outstanding shares on December 31, 2023, were $0.26 and $0.04 per share, respectively.

 

Foreign Income Information

Pursuant to Section 853 of the Internal Revenue Code, the Fund designates the following amounts as foreign taxes paid for the year ended December 31, 2023. Foreign taxes paid for purposes of Section 853 may be less than actual foreign taxes paid for financial statement purposes.

 

Gross Foreign	Foreign Taxes	Gross Foreign	Foreign Taxes	Shares Outstanding
Source Income	Pass-through	Source Income Per Share	Pass-through Per Share	at 12/31/23
3,402,387	489,651	0.26190932	0.03769238	12,990,705

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Certain Information Concerning Directors (Unaudited)

The following tables set forth certain information about each person currently serving as a Director of the Fund, including his or her beneficial ownership of Common Stock of the Fund. All information presented in the tables is as of December 31, 2023.

 

	Position(s)		Other Directorships
Name,	with Fund	Principal Occupation(s)	Held By Director
Address1 & Age	(Since)	During At Least The Past Five Years	During At Least The Past Five Years
Class I
Richard Dayan	Director (2018);	President and owner of	Trustee of High Income Securities
	Member of the	Cactus Trading since 1990	Fund since 2018
Age: 80	Audit Committee (2018);
	Member of the
	Governance/
	Nominating
	Committee (2018)
Moritz A. Sell	Director (2017);	Principal, Edison Holdings GmbH;	Trustee of High Income Securities
	Member and	Senior Advisor, Markston	Fund since 2018; Director of FAX
Age: 56	Chair of the Audit	International LLC until 2019; Director,	(Aberdeen Asia Pacific Income
	Committee (2017);	Market Strategist and Head of	Fund) and FCO (Aberdeen Global
	Lead Independent	Proprietary Trading (London Branch),	Income Fund) since 2018; Director of
	Director (2018)	Landesbank Berlin AG and	IAF (Aberdeen Australia Equity Fund)
		Landesbank Berlin Holding AG	since 2004; Director of Aberdeen
		(formerly, Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG)	Greater China Fund until 2018;
		from 1996 to 2013	Chairman and Director of
			Aberdeen Singapore Fund
			until 2018
Class II
Andrew Dakos*	Director	Partner, Bulldog Investors, LLP;	President and Director of Special
	(2017) and	Partner, Ryan Heritage, LLP;	Opportunities Fund, Inc. since
Age: 57	Chairman (2018)	Principal of the former general partner	2009; Trustee, Crossroads
		of several private investment	Liquidating Trust (formerly,
		partnerships in the Bulldog	Crossroads Capital, Inc.) from
		Investors group of private funds;	2015-2020; President and Trustee of
		Principal of the managing general	High Income Securities Fund since
		partner of Bulldog Investors	2018; Director, Brookfield DTLA
		General Partnership	Fund Office Trust Investor Inc.
			since 2017

*	Mr. Dakos is considered an “interested person” of the Fund within the meaning of the 1940 Act (and a Class II Interested Director of the Fund) as a result of his position as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Fund.

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Certain Information Concerning Directors (Unaudited) (concluded)

	Position(s)		Other Directorships
Name,	with Fund	Principal Occupation(s)	Held By Director
Address1 & Age	(Since)	During At Least The Past Five Years	During At Least The Past Five Years
Class III
Phillip F. Goldstein	Director (2018);	Partner of Bulldog Investors, LLP	Chairman and Director of The
	Member and	since 2009; Partner of Ryan	Mexico Equity and Income Fund,
Age: 79	Chair of the	Heritage, LLP; Principal of the former	Inc. since 2000; Chairman,
	Governance/	general partner of several private	Director and Secretary of Special
	Nominating	investment partnerships in the	Opportunities Fund, Inc. since
	Committee (2018)	Bulldog Investors group of private	2009; Chairman, Trustee and Secretary
		funds since 2009; Principal of the	of High Income Securities Fund since
		managing general partner of	2018; Director of Brookfield DTLA
		Bulldog Investors General Partnership	Fund Office Trust Investor Inc.
			since 2017; MVC Capital, Inc. from
			2012-2020; Trustee of Crossroads
			Liquidating Trust (formerly,
			Crossroads Capital, Inc.) from
			2016-2020
Gerald Hellerman	Director (2018);	Chief Compliance Officer of	Director of Mexico Equity and
	Member of the	The Mexico Equity and Income Fund,	Income Fund, Inc. since 2001;
Age: 86	Audit Committee	Inc. from 2001 through March 31,	Special Opportunities Fund, Inc.
	(2018); Member	2020 and Special Opportunities	since 2009; Fiera Capital Series Trust
	and Chair of the	Fund, Inc. from 2009 through	from 2017-2023; Trustee of High
	Pricing Committee	March 31, 2020; Managing Director	Income Securities Fund since 2018;
	(2018)	of Hellerman Associates (a financial	MVC Capital, Inc. from
		and corporate consulting firm)	2003-2020; Trustee of Crossroads
		since 1993 (which terminated	Liquidating Trust (formerly, Crossroads
		activities as of December 31, 2013)	Capital, Inc.) from 2017-2020

50

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THE SWISS HELVETIA FUND, INC.

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Certain Information Concerning Officers (Unaudited)

The following table sets forth certain information about each person serving as an Officer of the Fund as of December 31, 2023.

 

Officers2
Name,	Position(s)	Term of Office and	Principal Occupation(s)
Address1 & Age	with Fund	Length of Time Served	During At Least The Past Five Years
Andrew Dakos	President and	President and Chief	Partner, Bulldog Investors, LLP;
	Chief Executive	Executive Officer since 2019;	Partner, Ryan Heritage, LLP;
Age: 57	Officer; Director	Chairman since 2018;	Principal of the former general
	and Chairman.	Director since 2017	partner of several private
			investment partnerships in the
			Bulldog Investors group of private
			funds; Principal of the managing
			general partner of Bulldog
			Investors General Partnership
Thomas Antonucci	Chief Financial	Since 2019	Director of Operations,
	Officer		Bulldog Investors, LLP;
Age: 55			Chief Financial Officer
			and Treasurer of Special
			Opportunities Fund; Treasurer
			of High Income Securities Fund
Stephanie Darling	Chief Compliance	Since 2019	General Counsel and Chief
	Officer		Compliance Officer of Bulldog
Age: 53			Investors, LLP; Chief Compliance
			Officer of Ryan Heritage, LLP,
			High Income Securities
			Fund, Special Opportunities Fund,
			Inc., and Mexico Equity and
			Income Fund, Inc.; Principal of The
			Law Office of Stephanie Darling;
			Editor-in-Chief of The
			Investment Lawyer
Rajeev Das	Secretary	Since 2019	Head of Trading, Bulldog
			Investors, LLP
Age: 55

1	The address for each Director and Executive Officer is c/o The Swiss Helvetia Fund, Inc., 615 East Michigan Street, Milwaukee, WI 53202.
2	Each Executive Officer serves on a year-to-year basis for an indefinite term, until his or her successor is elected and qualified.

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THE SWISS HELVETIA FUND, INC.

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Automatic Dividend Reinvestment Plan (Unaudited)

Terms and Conditions

Pursuant to this Automatic Dividend Reinvestment Plan (the “Plan”) of The Swiss Helvetia Fund, Inc. (the “Fund”), unless a holder (each, a “Stockholder”) of the Fund’s shares of common stock (the “Common Shares”) otherwise elects, all income dividends, capital gain distributions and returns of capital, if any (collectively referred to herein as “dividends”), on such Stockholder’s Common Shares will be automatically reinvested by Equiniti Trust Company, LLC, as agent for Stockholders in administering the Plan (the “Plan Administrator”), in additional Common Shares of the Fund. Stockholders who elect not to participate in the Plan will receive all dividends payable in cash directly to the Stockholder of record (or, if the Common Shares are held in street or other nominee name, then to such nominee) by Equiniti Trust Company, LLC, as the Dividend Disbursing Agent. Stockholders may elect not to participate in the Plan and to receive all dividends in cash by contacting the Plan Administrator. Enrollment, purchase or sales of shares and other transactions or services offered by the Plan can be directed to the Plan Administrator through the following:

 

Telephone

Telephone the Plan Administrator: 1-888-556-0425.

 

In Writing

You may also write to the Plan Administrator at the following address: Equiniti Trust Company, LLC, PO Box 922, Wall Street Station, New York, NY 10269-0560. Be sure to include your name, address, daytime phone number, social security or tax I.D. number and a reference to The Swiss Helvetia Fund, Inc. on all correspondence.

 

Participation in the Plan is completely voluntary and may be terminated at any time without penalty by providing notice in writing to the Plan Administrator at least 3 business days prior to any dividend payment date for that dividend to be payable in cash. A request for termination that is received less than 3 business days prior to any dividend payment date will be processed by the Plan Administrator, but you will have that dividend reinvested in additional Common Shares. However, all subsequent dividends will be payable in cash unless and until you resume participation in the Plan. To resume participation in the Plan, your request to enroll in the Plan must be received by the record date for that dividend distribution. If received after the record date, your participation in the Plan will begin with the next dividend declaration.

 

Whenever the Fund declares a dividend, payable either in Common Shares or in cash, participants in the Plan will receive a number of Common Shares determined in accordance with the following provisions and non-participants in the Plan will receive cash. The Common Shares will be acquired by the Plan Administrator for the participants’ accounts, depending upon the circumstances described below, either: (i) through the receipt of additional unissued but authorized Common Shares from the Fund (“newly issued Common Shares”) or (ii) by purchase of outstanding Common Shares on the open market (“open-market purchases”) on the New York Stock Exchange, the primary national securities exchange on which the Common Shares are traded, or elsewhere.

 

If, on the payment date for any dividend, the net asset value (“NAV”) per Common Share is equal to or less than the market price per Common Share (plus estimated brokerage trading fees) (such condition being referred to

52

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THE SWISS HELVETIA FUND, INC.

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Automatic Dividend Reinvestment Plan (Unaudited) (continued)

herein as “market premium”), the Plan Administrator will invest the dividend amount in newly issued Common Shares on behalf of the participants. The number of newly issued Common Shares to be credited to each participant’s account will be determined by dividing the dollar amount of the dividend by the NAV per Common Share on the date the Common Shares are issued, provided that, if the NAV per Common Share is less than or equal to 95% of the then current market price per Common Share on the date of issuance, the dollar amount of the dividend will be divided by 95% of the market price on the date of issuance for purposes of determining the number of shares issuable under the Plan.

 

If, on the payment date for any dividend, the NAV per Common Share is greater than the market price of the Common Shares (plus estimated brokerage trading fees) (such condition being referred to herein as “market discount”), the Plan Administrator will invest the dividend amount in Common Shares acquired on behalf of the participants in open-market purchases.

 

In the event of a market discount on the payment date for any dividend, the Plan Administrator will have until the last business day before the next date on which the Common Shares trade on an “ex-dividend” basis or in no event more than 30 days after the record date for such dividend, whichever is sooner (the “last purchase date”), to invest the dividend amount in Common Shares acquired in open-market purchases. If, before the Plan Administrator has completed its open-market purchases, the market price of a Common Share exceeds the NAV per Common Share, the average per Common Share purchase price paid by the Plan Administrator may exceed the NAV of the Common Shares, resulting in the acquisition of fewer Common Shares than if the dividend had been paid in newly issued Common Shares on the dividend payment date. Because of the foregoing difficulty with respect to open-market purchases, if the Plan Administrator is unable to invest the full dividend amount in open-market purchases during the purchase period or if the market discount shifts to a market premium during the purchase period, the Plan Administrator may cease making open-market purchases and may invest the uninvested portion of the dividend amount in newly issued Common Shares at the NAV per Common Share at the close of business on the last purchase date provided that, if the NAV is less than or equal to 95% of the then current market price per Common Share, the dollar amount of the dividend will be divided by 95% of the market price on the date of issuance for purposes of determining the number of Common Shares issuable under the Plan.

 

The Plan Administrator maintains all registered Stockholders’ accounts in the Plan and furnishes written confirmation of all transactions in the accounts, including information needed by Stockholders for tax records. Common Shares in the account of each Plan participant generally will be held by the Plan Administrator in non-certificated form in the name of the Plan participant, although the Plan Administrator will issue certificates for whole Common Shares upon your request. Certificates for fractional Common Shares will not be issued.

 

In the case of Stockholders such as banks, brokers or nominees that hold Common Shares for others who are the beneficial owners, the Plan Administrator will administer

53

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THE SWISS HELVETIA FUND, INC.

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Automatic Dividend Reinvestment Plan (Unaudited) (continued)

the Plan on the basis of the number of Common Shares certified from time to time by the record Stockholder and held for the account of beneficial owners who participate in the Plan.

 

There will be no brokerage charges with respect to Common Shares issued directly by the Fund as a result of dividends payable either in Common Shares or in cash. However, each participant will pay a pro rata share of brokerage trading fees incurred with respect to the Plan Administrator’s open-market purchases of Common Shares in connection with the reinvestment of dividends under the Plan.

 

Participants in the Plan may sell any or all of their Common Shares in their Plan accounts by contacting the Plan Administrator. The Plan Administrator currently charges $15.00 for the transaction, plus $0.10 per Common Share for this service. Participants also may withdraw their Common Shares from their Plan accounts and sell those Common Shares through their broker.

 

Neither the Fund nor the Plan Administrator will provide any advice, make any recommendations, or

offer any opinion with respect to whether or not you should purchase or sell your Common Shares or otherwise participate in the Plan. You must make independent investment decisions based on your own judgment and research. The Common Shares held in Plan accounts are not subject to protection under the Securities Investor Protection Act of 1970.

 

Neither the Fund nor the Plan Administrator will be liable for any good faith act or for any good faith omission to act, including, without limitation, any claim or liability arising out of failure to terminate a participant’s account upon the participant’s death, the prices at which Common Shares are purchased or sold for a participant’s account, the times when purchases or sales of Common Shares are made, or fluctuations in the market value of Common Shares. However, nothing contained in this provision affects a Stockholder’s right to bring a cause of action based on alleged violations of the federal securities laws.

 

Voting

Each Stockholder proxy will include those Common Shares purchased or received pursuant to the Plan. The Plan Administrator will forward all proxy solicitation materials to participants and vote proxies for Common Shares held pursuant to the Plan in accordance with the instructions of the participants.

 

Taxation

The automatic reinvestment of dividends will not relieve participants of any federal, state or local income tax that may be payable (or required to be withheld) on such dividends.

 

Amendments to Plan

The Fund reserves the right to suspend, amend or terminate the Plan at any time. All Stockholders of record, both participants and non-participants in the Plan, will be notified of any suspension, termination or significant amendment of the Plan. If the Plan is terminated, Common Shares held in the participants’ accounts will be distributed to the participants. Any change in the source of purchase of Common Shares under the Plan from open market purchases or direct issuance by the Plan Administrator does not constitute an amendment to the Plan.

54

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THE SWISS HELVETIA FUND, INC.

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Directors and Officers

Andrew Dakos	Gerald Hellerman1,4
Chairman, President and	Director
Chief Executive Officer	Thomas Antonucci
Richard Dayan1,5	Chief Financial Officer
Director	Stephanie Darling
Phillip Goldstein2	Chief Compliance Officer
Director	Rajeev Das
Moritz Sell3,6	Secretary
Director

1	Audit Committee Member	4	Pricing Committee Chair
2	Governance Nominating	5	Governance Committee
	Committee Chair		Member
3	Audit Committee Chair	6	Lead Independent Director

Investment Adviser

Schroder Investment Management North America Inc.

7 Bryant Park

New York, NY 10018-3706

[phone]

 

Investment Sub-adviser

Schroder Investment Management North America Ltd.

1 London Wall Place

London, EC2Y, United Kingdom

 

Administrator

U.S. Bank Global Fund Services

 

Custodian

U.S. Bank, N.A.

 

Transfer Agent

Equiniti Trust Company, LLC

48 Wall Street, Floor 23

New York, NY 10005

[phone]

 

Legal Counsel

Sullivan & Cromwell LLP

 

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

Tait, Weller & Baker LLP

 

The Investment Adviser

The Swiss Helvetia Fund, Inc. (the “Fund”) is managed by Schroder Investment Management North America Inc. (“SIMNA Inc.”).

 

SIMNA Inc. is an investment adviser registered with the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). It provides asset management products and services to the Fund, other registered investment companies, private funds and segregated accounts. SIMNA Inc. is part of a global asset management firm with approximately $956.9 billion in assets under management and administration as of December 31, 2023.

 

Executive Offices

The Swiss Helvetia Fund, Inc.

615 East Michigan Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202

[phone]

 

For inquiries and reports:

[phone]

email: [e-mail]

 

Website Address

www.swzfund.com

 

The Fund

The Fund is a non-diversified, closed-end investment company whose objective is to seek long-term capital appreciation through investment in equity and equity-linked securities of Swiss companies. The Fund also may acquire and hold equity and equity-linked securities of non-Swiss companies in limited instances.

 

The Fund is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “SWZ”.

 

Net Asset Value is calculated daily by 6:15 P.M. (Eastern Time). The most recent calculation is available by accessing the Fund’s website www.swzfund.com. Net Asset Value is also published weekly in Barron’s, the Monday edition of The Wall Street Journal and the Sunday edition of The New York Times.

 

55

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(b) Not applicable for this Registrant.

Item 2. Code of Ethics.

The registrant has adopted a code of ethics that applies to the registrant’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer.  The Registrant has not made any amendments to its Code of Ethics during the period covered by this report.  The registrant has not granted any waivers from any provisions of the code of ethics during the period covered by this report. A copy of the registrant’s code of ethics is Filed herewith.

Item 3. Audit Committee Financial Expert.

The Registrant’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) has determined that Messrs. Moritz Sell, Gerald Hellerman, and Richard Dayan each a member of the Audit Committee of the Board, is an audit committee financial expert as defined by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Each of Messrs. Sell, Hellerman, and Dayan is “independent” as defined by the SEC for purposes of audit committee financial expert determinations.

Item 4. Principal Accountant Fees and Services.

(a) Audit Fees:

The aggregate fees billed for each of the last two fiscal years (the “Reporting Periods”) for professional services rendered by the Registrant’s principal accountants for the audit of the Registrant’s annual financial statements, or services that are normally provided by the principal accountant in connection with the statutory and regulatory filings or engagements for the Reporting Periods, were $50,000 in 2022 and $50,000 in 2023.

(b) Audit-Related Fees:

The aggregated fees billed in the Reporting Periods for assurance and related services rendered by the principal accountants to the Registrant were $0 in 2022 and $0 in 2023. These services, in accordance with Statement on Auditing Standards No.100, Interim Financial Information, consisted of review of the Fund’s semi-annual reports to shareholders.

There were no fees billed in the Reporting Periods for assurance and related services rendered by the principal accountants to the Registrant’s investment adviser and any entity controlling, controlled by or under common control with the Registrant’s investment adviser that provides ongoing services to the Registrant (collectively the “investment adviser”) which were required to be pre-approved by the Audit Committee as described in paragraph (e)(1) of this Item 4.

(c) Tax Fees:

The aggregate fees billed in the Reporting Periods for professional services rendered by the principal accountants to the Registrant for tax compliance, tax advice and tax planning (“Tax Services”) were $5,500 in 2022 and $5,500 in 2023. These services consisted of review or preparation of U.S. federal, state, local and excise tax returns.

(d) All Other Fees:

The principal accountant did not provide any additional products or services to the Registrant in the reporting periods other than the services reported in paragraphs (a) through (c) of this Item but did receive reimbursement of out of pocket expenses of $0 in 2022 and $0 in 2023.

(e)(1) Audit Committee Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures:

The Registrant’s Audit Committee pre-approves the principal accountant’s engagements for audit and non-audit services to the Registrant, and non-audit services to the investment adviser that are required to be pre-approved on a case-by-case basis. Pre-approval considerations include whether the proposed services are compatible with maintaining the principal accountant’s independence.

(e)(2) Services approved pursuant to paragraph (c)(7)(i)(C) of Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X:

Audit-Related Fees:

No services included in (b) - (d) above were approved pursuant to paragraph (c)(7)(i)(C) of Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X.

(f) None.

(g) The aggregate non-audit services billed by the principal accountants for services rendered to the Registrant in the reporting periods were $5,500 in 2022 and $5,500 in 2023. There were no fees billed in each of the Reporting Periods for non-audit services rendered by the principal accountant to the investment adviser.

(h) The Registrant’s Audit Committee considers whether the provision of any non-audit services rendered to the investment adviser that were not pre-approved (not requiring pre-approval) by the Audit Committee is compatible with maintaining the principal accountant’s independence.

(i) Not applicable

(j) Not applicable

Item 5. Audit Committee of Listed Registrants.

The Registrant has a separately-designated standing Audit Committee established in accordance with Section 3(a)(58)(A) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. It is composed of the following Directors, each of who is not an “interested person” as defined in the Investment

Company Act of 1940:

Moritz Sell, Chair

Gerald Hellerman

Richard Dayan

Item 6. Investments.

(a) Schedule of Investments is included as part of the report to shareholders filed under item 1 of the Form.

(b) Not applicable

Item 7. Disclosure of Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures for Closed-End Management Investment Companies.

The Registrant has delegated voting of proxies in respect of portfolio holdings to its investment adviser, Schroder Investment Management North America, Inc. (the “Adviser”), to vote the Registrant’s proxies in accordance with Adviser’s proxy voting guidelines and procedures (the

“Voting Guidelines”) that provide as follows:

The Adviser treats the voting of proxies as an important part of its management of client assets. It votes proxies in a manner that it deems most likely to protect and enhance the longer term value of the security as an asset to the account. The Adviser has a Proxy Committee consisting of investment professionals and other officers which is responsible for ensuring compliance with its proxy voting policy. That committee includes input from all offices including affiliated advisers. The actual voting of proxies is carried out by Schroder Investment Management Ltd., the UK affiliate of the Adviser. When voting proxies, the Adviser and its affiliates follow the Environmental, Social and Governance Policy (the “Policy”). The Policy sets forth positions on recurring issues and criteria for addressing nonrecurring issues. The Proxy Committee exercises oversight to assure that proxies are voted in accordance with the Policy and that any votes inconsistent with the Policy are documented. The Adviser uses proxy research from third party service providers. It considers their recommendations for voting on particular proxy proposals. The Adviser bears ultimate responsibility for proxy voting decisions. Occasionally, proxy voting proposals will raise conflicts between the Adviser’s interests and those of its clients. Those conflicts are managed in accordance with the procedures set out in the Policy. If the Adviser receives a proxy relating to an issuer that raises a material conflict of interest, the proxy is voted after review by the Global Head of Equities. The proxy will be voted as follows: – If a proposal or aspect of the meeting business is specifically addressed by the Policy, the Adviser will vote or act in accordance with the Policy unless the Adviser considers it is in the best interests of clients to depart from the Policy. In that case or if the proposal or meeting business is not specifically covered by the Policy, the Adviser may vote or act as it determines to be in the best interest of clients, provided that such vote or action would be against the Adviser’s own interest in the matter – If the Adviser believes it should vote in a way that may also benefit, or be perceived to benefit, its own interest, then the Adviser will either (a) vote in accordance with the recommendations of a third party (which will be the supplier of our proxy voting processing and research service); or (b) obtain approval of the decision from the Adviser’s Head of Equities: the rationale of such vote will be recorded in writing; or (c) in exceptional cases, inform the client(s) of the conflict of interest and obtain consent to vote as recommended by the Adviser. If the third-party recommendation is unavailable, we will not vote. A copy of the entire Proxy Voting Policy and information as to specific votes are available to clients upon request.

Item 8. Portfolio Managers of Closed-End Management Investment Companies.

Schroder Investment Management North America Inc. (“SIMNA”) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Schroders plc (Schroders plc and its subsidiaries are collectively referred to herein as “Schroders”). SIMNA is investment adviser to the Registrant and Stefan Frischknecht and Daniel Lenz, in association with Schroder Investment Management North America Limited (“SIMNA Limited”), SIMNA’s affiliate, are primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Registrant’s portfolio.

Stefan Frischknecht, CFA, Lead Portfolio Manager, is the Head of Equity Fund Management for Schroder Investment Management (Switzerland) AG, Zurich and is associated with SIMNA Limited. He joined the Schroders organization in 1999 and is currently Fund Manager of the SISF Sustainable Swiss Equity Fund, Schroder Swiss Equity Core Fund and institutional mandates. Prior to Schroders, he worked at ABB Investment Management from 1995 until 1998 as a portfolio manager with additional research responsibility for the European Financial sector. He commenced his investment career in 1994 at the International and Finance Department of Swiss Bank Corporation (now UBS) as a credit analyst. He holds a Master of Science from the University of Berne, Switzerland.

Daniel Lenz, CFA, Co-Portfolio Manager, is a Fund Manager for Schroder Investment Management (Switzerland) AG, Zurich and is associated with SIMNA Limited. He joined the Schroders organization in 2000 and is currently Fund Manager of the SISF Small & Mid Cap

Fund, the Schroder (CH) Swiss Small & Mid Cap Fund, the SISF Swiss Equity Fund, the Schroder European Small & Mid Cap Value Fund (ex UK) and institutional mandates. He began his investment career in 1997 at Credit Suisse as a portfolio manager. He holds a Master of Arts

from the University of St. Gallen (HSG), Switzerland.

Other Accounts Managed. The following table shows information regarding other accounts managed by the portfolio managers of the Registrant, as of December 31, 2023:

	Number of Accounts	Total Assets in Accounts	Number of Accounts where Advisory Fee is Based on Account Performance	Total Assets in Accounts where Advisory Fee is Based on Account Performance
Stefan Frischknecht
Registered Investment Companies	None	None	None	None
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles	2	$60,007,941	None	None
Other Accounts	3	$997,967,010	None	None
Daniel Lenz
Registered Investment Companies	None	None	None	None
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles	4	$784,850,126	None	None
Other Accounts	4	$829,364,023	None	None

Material Conflicts of Interest. Whenever a portfolio manager manages other accounts, potential conflicts of interest exist, including potential conflicts between the investment strategy of the Registrant and the investment strategy of the other accounts. For example, in certain instances, a portfolio manager may take conflicting positions in a particular security for different accounts, by selling a security for one account and continuing to hold it for another account. In addition, the fact that other accounts require the portfolio manager to devote less than all of his or her time to a fund may be seen itself to constitute a conflict with the interest of the Registrant.

Each portfolio manager may also execute transactions for another fund or account at the direction of such fund or account that may adversely impact the value of securities held by the Registrant. Securities selected for funds or accounts other than the Registrant may outperform the securities selected for the Registrant. Finally, if the portfolio manager identifies a limited investment opportunity that may be suitable for more than one fund or other account, the Registrant may not be able to take full advantage of that opportunity due to an allocation of that opportunity across all eligible funds and accounts. Schroders’ policies, however, require that portfolio managers allocate investment opportunities among accounts managed by them in an equitable manner over time. Orders are normally allocated on a pro rata basis, except that in certain circumstances, such as the small size of an issue, orders will be allocated among clients in a manner believed by Schroders to be fair and equitable over time.

The structure of a portfolio manager’s compensation may give rise to potential conflicts of interest. A portfolio manager’s base pay tends to increase with additional and more complex responsibilities that include increased assets under management, which indirectly links

compensation to sales. Also, potential conflicts of interest may arise since the structure of Schroders’ compensation may vary from account to account.

Schroders has adopted certain compliance procedures that are designed to address these, and other, types of conflicts. However, there is no guarantee that such procedures will detect each and every situation where a conflict arises.

Compensation for Portfolio Managers. Schroders’ methodology for measuring and rewarding the contribution made by portfolio managers combines quantitative measures with qualitative measures. The Funds’ portfolio managers are compensated for their services to the Funds and to other accounts they manage in a combination of base salary and annual discretionary bonus, as well as the standard retirement, health and welfare benefits available to all Schroders employees. Certain fund managers may also receive awards under a long-term incentive program. Base salary of Schroders’ employees is determined by reference to the level of responsibility inherent in the role and the experience of the incumbent, is benchmarked annually against market data to ensure that Schroders is paying competitively. Schroders’ reviews base salaries annually, targeting increases at employees whose roles have increased in scope materially during the year and those whose salary is behind market rates. At more senior levels, base salaries tend to be adjusted less frequently as the emphasis is increasingly on the discretionary bonus.

Schroders believes that a discretionary incentive scheme approach is preferable to the use of formulaic arrangements to ensure that good conduct and behaviours in line with the Schroders values are rewarded, to avoid reinforcing or creating conflicts of interest and to encourage a one team attitude. Any discretionary bonus is determined by a number of factors. At a macro level the total amount available to spend is a function of the bonus to pre-bonus profit ratio before tax and the compensation to revenue ratio achieve by Schroders globally. Schroders then assesses the performance of the division and of a management team to determine the share of the aggregate bonus pool that is spent in each area. This focus on “team” maintains consistency and minimizes internal competition that may be detrimental to the interests of Schroders’ clients. For each team, Schroders assesses the performance of their funds relative to competitors and to relevant benchmarks (which may be internally and/or externally-based and are considered over a range of performance periods), the level of funds under management, and the level of performance fees generated, if any. Schroders also reviews “softer” factors such as leadership, contribution to other parts of the business, and an assessment of the employee’s behavior and the extent to which it is in line with our corporate values of excellence, integrity, teamwork, passion and innovation.

For those employees receiving significant bonuses, a part may be deferred in the form of Schroders plc stock and fund-based awards of notional cash investments in a range of Schroders Funds. These deferrals vest over a period of three years and are designed to ensure that the interests of the employees are aligned with those of the shareholders of Schroders.

For the purposes of determining the portfolio managers’ bonuses, the relevant external benchmarks for performance comparison (including among others the Swiss Performance Index) in conjunction with the Morningstar peer group.

Ownership of Securities of Registrant. As of the date of this Report, neither Mr. Frischknecht nor Mr. Lenz beneficially owned shares of common stock of the Registrant.

Item 9. Purchases of Equity Securities by Closed‑End Management Investment Company and Affiliated Purchasers.

The following purchases were made by or on behalf of the registrant or any “affiliated purchaser,” as defined in Rule 10b-18(a)(3) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, of shares of the registrant’s equity securities that are registered by the Registrant pursuant to Section 12 of the Exchange Act made in the period covered by this report.

Period	(a) Total Number of Shares (or Units) Purchased	(b) Average Price Paid per Share (or Unit)	(c) Total Number of Shares (or Units) Purchased as Part of Publicly Announced Plans or Programs	(d) Maximum Number (or Approximate Dollar Value) of Shares (or Units) that May Yet Be Purchased Under the Plans or Programs
7/1/23 – 7/31/23	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
8/1/23 – 8/31/23	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
9/1/23 – 9/30/23	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
10/1/23 – 10/31/23	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
11/1/23 – 11/30/23	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
12/1/23 – 12/31/23	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Total

Item 10. Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders.

There have been no material changes to the procedures by which shareholders may recommend nominees to the registrant’s board of directors.

Item 11. Controls and Procedures.

(a)

The Registrant’s President and Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have reviewed the Registrant's disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 30a-3(c) under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “Act”)) as of a date within 90 days of the filing of this report, as required by Rule 30a-3(b) under the Act and Rules 13a-15(b) or 15d‑15(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.  Based on their review, such officers have concluded that the disclosure controls and procedures are effective in ensuring that information required to be disclosed in this report is appropriately recorded, processed, summarized and reported and made known to them by others within the Registrant and by the Registrant’s service provider.

(b)

There were no changes in the Registrant's internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 30a-3(d) under the Act) that occurred during the period covered by this report that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Registrant's internal control over financial reporting.

Item 12. Disclosure of Securities Lending Activities for Closed-End Management Investment Companies

The registrant did not engage in securities lending activities during the fiscal period reported on this Form N-CSR.

Item 13. Exhibits.

(a)	(1) Any code of ethics or amendment thereto, that is the subject of the disclosure required by Item 2, to the extent that the registrant intends to satisfy Item 2 requirements through filing an exhibit. Filed herewith.

(2) A separate certification for each principal executive officer and principal financial officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.  Filed herewith.

(3) Any written solicitation to purchase securities under Rule 23c‑1 under the Act sent or given during the period covered by the report by or on behalf of the registrant to 10 or more persons.  None.

(4) Change in the registrant’s independent public accountant.  There was no change in the registrant’s independent public accountant for the period covered by this report.

(b)	Certifications pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes‑Oxley Act of 2002.  Furnished herewith.

(c)

A copy of the Registrant’s notice to shareholders pursuant to Rule 19a-1 under the 1940 Act which accompanied distributions paid during the period ended December 31, 2023 pursuant to the Registrant’s Managed Distribution Plan are filed herewith as required by the terms of the Registrant’s exemptive order issued on May 21, 2018. Filed herewith.

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

(Registrant)     The Swiss Helvetia Fund, Inc. 

By (Signature and Title)       /s/Andrew Dakos

Andrew Dakos, President and Chief Executive Officer

Date     3/5/2024

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

By (Signature and Title)       /s/Andrew Dakos

Andrew Dakos, President and Chief Executive Officer

Date    3/5/2024

By (Signature and Title)      /s/Thomas Antonucci

Thomas Antonucci, Chief Financial Officer

Date    3/5/2024

THE SWISS HELVETIA FUND, INC.

CODE OF ETHICS FOR PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE

AND SENIOR FINANCIAL OFFICERS

 

I.	Covered Officers/Purpose of the Code

This code of ethics (the "Code") for The Swiss Helvetia Fund, Inc. (the "Fund") applies to the Fund's Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer, or other persons performing similar functions, each of whom is listed on Exhibit A (the "Covered Officers"), for the purpose of promoting:

 

•	honest and ethical conduct, including the ethical handling of actual or apparent conflicts of interest between personal and professional relationships;

•	full, fair, accurate, timely and understandable disclosure in reports and documents that the Fund files with, or submits to, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and in other public communications made by the Fund;

•	compliance with applicable laws and governmental rules and regulations;

•	the prompt internal reporting of violations of the Code to an appropriate person or persons identified in the Code; and

•	accountability for adherence to the Code.

Each Covered Officer should adhere to a high standard of business ethics and should be sensitive to situations that may give rise to actual as well as apparent conflicts of interest.

 

II.	Covered Officers Should Handle Ethically Actual and Apparent Conflicts of Interest

Overview.  A "conflict of interest" occurs when a Covered Officer's private interest interferes with the interests of, or his service to, the Fund.  For example, a conflict of interest would arise if a Covered Officer, or a member of his family, receives improper personal benefits as a result of his position with the Fund.

 

Certain conflicts of interest arise out of the relationships between Covered Officers and the Fund and already are subject to conflict of interest provisions in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "Investment Company Act"), and the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the "Investment Advisers Act").  For example, Covered Officers may not individually engage in certain transactions (such as the purchase or sale of securities or other property) with the Fund because of their status as "affiliated persons" of the Fund.  The compliance programs and procedures of the Fund and the Fund's investment advisor (the "Advisor") are designed to prevent, or identify and correct, violations of these provisions.  The Code does not, and is not intended to, repeat or replace these programs and procedures.

 

---

Although typically not presenting an opportunity for improper personal benefit, conflicts arise from, or as a result of, the contractual relationship between the Fund and the Advisor of which the Covered Officers are also officers or employees.  As a result, the Code recognizes that the Covered Officers, in the ordinary course of their duties (whether formally for the Fund or for the Advisor, or for both), will be involved in establishing policies and implementing decisions that will have different effects on the Advisor and the Fund.  The participation of the Covered Officers in such activities is inherent in the contractual relationship between the Fund and the Advisor and is consistent with the performance by the Covered Officers of their duties as officers of the Fund and, if addressed in conformity with the provisions of the Investment Company Act and the Investment Advisers Act, will be deemed to have been handled ethically.

 

Other conflicts of interest are covered by the Code, even if such conflicts of interest are not subject to provisions in the Investment Company Act and the Investment Advisers Act.  Covered Officers should keep in mind that the Code cannot enumerate every possible scenario.  The overarching principle of the Code is that the personal interest of a Covered Officer should not be placed improperly before the interest of the Fund.

 

Each Covered Officer must:

 

•	not use his personal influence or personal relationships improperly to influence investment decisions or financial reporting by the Fund whereby the Covered Officer would benefit personally to the detriment of the Fund;

•	not cause the Fund to take action, or fail to take action, for the individual personal benefit of the Covered Officer rather than the benefit of the Fund; and

•	not retaliate against any employee or Covered Officer for reports of potential violations that are made in good faith.

III.	Disclosure and Compliance

•	Each Covered Officer should familiarize himself with the disclosure requirements and disclosure controls and procedures generally applicable to the Fund within his area of responsibility;

•	each Covered Officer should not knowingly misrepresent, or cause others to misrepresent, facts about the Fund to others, whether within or outside the Fund, including to the Fund's Board members and auditors, and to governmental regulators and self-regulatory organizations; and

•

to the extent appropriate within his area of responsibility, each Covered Officer should consult with other officers and employees of the Fund and the Advisor and take other appropriate steps with the goal of promoting full, fair, accurate, timely and understandable disclosure in the reports and documents the Fund files with, or submits to, the SEC and in other public communications made by the Fund; and

-2-

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•	it is the responsibility of each Covered Officer to promote compliance with the standards and restrictions imposed by applicable laws, rules and regulations.

IV.	Reporting and Accountability

Each Covered Officer must:

 

•	upon adoption of the Code (or thereafter, as applicable, upon becoming a Covered Officer), affirm in writing to the Board that he has received, read, and understands the Code;

•	annually thereafter affirm to the Board that he has complied with the requirements of the Code; and

•	notify the Audit Committee (the "Committee") promptly if he knows of any violation of the Code.  Failure to do so is itself a violation of the Code.

The Audit Committee is responsible for applying the Code to specific situations in which questions are presented under it and has the authority to interpret the Code in any particular situation and to grant waivers sought by any Covered Officer.  The Fund will follow these procedures in investigating and enforcing the Code:

 

•	the Committee will take all appropriate action to investigate any potential violations reported to it;

•	if, after such investigation, the Committee believes that no violation has occurred, the Committee is not required to take any further action;

•

if the Committee determines that a violation has occurred, it will inform and make a recommendation to the Board, which will consider appropriate action, which may include review of, and appropriate modifications to, applicable policies and procedures; notification to appropriate personnel of the Advisor or its board; or a recommendation to dismiss the Covered Officer; and

•	any waivers of or amendments to the Code, to the extent required, will be disclosed as provided by SEC rules.

V.	Other Policies and Procedures

The Code shall be the sole code of ethics adopted by the Fund for purposes of Section 406 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the rules and forms applicable to registered investment companies thereunder.  Insofar as other policies and procedures of the Fund, the Advisor or other service providers govern or purport to govern the behavior or activities of the Covered Officers who are subject to the Code, they are superceded by the Code to the extent that they overlap or conflict with the provisions of the Code.  The Fund's and the Advisor's codes of ethics under Rule 17j-1 under the Investment Company Act and the Advisor's additional policies and procedures are separate requirements applying to the Covered Officers and others, and are not part of the Code.

-3-

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VI.	Amendments

Except as to Exhibit A, the Code may not be amended except in written form, which is specifically approved or ratified by a majority vote of the Fund's Board, including a majority of independent Board members.

 

VII.	Confidentiality

All reports and records prepared or maintained pursuant to the Code will be considered confidential and shall be maintained and protected accordingly.  Except as otherwise required by law or the Code, such matters shall not be disclosed to anyone other than the Fund and its counsel, the Board (or Committees thereof) and its counsel, and the Advisor.

 

VIII.

Internal Use

The Code is intended solely for the internal use by the Fund and does not constitute an admission, by or on behalf of the Fund, as to any fact, circumstance, or legal conclusion.

 

 

Date: September 17, 2003

 

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Exhibit A

 

Andrew Dakos	Principal Executive Officer
Thomas Antonucci	Principal Financial Officer

Date of Exhibit A:  January 2019

-5-

CERTIFICATIONS

I, Andrew Dakos, certify that:

1.	I have reviewed this report on Form N-CSR of The Swiss Helvetia Fund, Inc.;

2.	Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

3.

Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations, changes in net assets, and cash flows (if the financial statements are required to include a statement of cash flows) of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4.

The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 30a-3(c) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 30a-3(d) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) for the registrant and have:

(a)

Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

(b)

Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

(c)	Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of a date within 90 days prior to the filing date of this report based on such evaluation; and

(d)	Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the period covered by this report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and

5.	The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

(a)	All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize, and report financial information; and

(b)	Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

Date:    3/5/2024

/s/Andrew Dakos Andrew Dakos President and Chief Executive Officer

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CERTIFICATIONS

I, Thomas Antonucci, certify that:

1.	I have reviewed this report on Form N-CSR of The Swiss Helvetia Fund, Inc.;

2.	Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

3.

Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations, changes in net assets, and cash flows (if the financial statements are required to include a statement of cash flows) of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4.

The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 30a-3(c) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 30a-3(d) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) for the registrant and have:

(a)

Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

(b)

Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

(c)	Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of a date within 90 days prior to the filing date of this report based on such evaluation; and

(d)	Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the period covered by this report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and

5.	The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

(a)	All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize, and report financial information; and

(b)	Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

Date:    3/5/2024

/s/Thomas Antonucci Thomas Antonucci Chief Financial Officer

Certification Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act

Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, each of the undersigned officers of The Swiss Helvetia Fund, Inc., does hereby certify, to such officer’s knowledge, that the report on Form N-CSR of The Swiss Helvetia Fund, Inc. for the year ended December 31, 2023 fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as applicable, and that the information contained in the Form N-CSR fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of The Swiss Helvetia Fund, Inc. for the stated period.

/s/Andrew Dakos Andrew Dakos President and Chief Executive Officer, The Swiss Helvetia Fund, Inc.	/s/Thomas Antonucci Thomas Antonucci Chief Financial Officer, The Swiss Helvetia Fund, Inc.
Dated:    3/5/2024

This statement accompanies this report on Form N-CSR pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and shall not be deemed as filed by The Swiss Helvetia Fund for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

THE SWISS HELVETIA FUND, INC.

Notification of Sources of Distribution

Pursuant to Section 19(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

Important Information Regarding Your Quarterly Distribution

As previously announced, on March 31, 2023, The Swiss Helvetia Fund, Inc. (the "Fund") paid a quarterly distribution of $0.12285 per share of the Fund’s common stock to all stockholders of record as of March 22, 2023, pursuant to the Fund’s managed distribution plan (the “Plan”).

 

As a general matter, the amount of the Fund’s distributable income depends on the aggregate gains and losses realized by the Fund during the Fund’s entire fiscal year.  Distributions may consist of net investment income, capital gains and return of capital but the character of these distributions cannot be determined until after the end of the Fund’s fiscal year.  However, under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the terms of the Plan, the Fund may be required to indicate the source of each distribution to its stockholders.  The following table sets forth the estimated sources of the current distribution, and the cumulative distributions paid during the 2023 fiscal year from the sources indicated in the table. All amounts in the following table are expressed on a per common share basis and as a percentage of the distribution amount.

                     

DISTRIBUTION ESTIMATES

Current Distribution

2023 Fiscal Year *

	Per Share Amount	% of Current Distribution	Per Share Amount	% of the 2023 Distributions
Net Investment Income	$0.02840	23.12%	$0.02840	23.12%
Net Realized Short-Term Capital Gains	$0.00000	0.00%	$0.00000	0.00%
Net Realized Long-Term Capital Gains	$0.00000	0.00%	$0.00000	0.00%
Return of Capital (or other Capital Source)	$0.09445	76.88%	$0.09445	76.88%
TOTAL	$0.12285	100.00%	$0.12285	100.00%

 

* The Fund's 2023 fiscal year began on January 1, 2023 and ends on December 31, 2023.

 

You should not draw any conclusions about the Fund's investment performance from the amount of this distribution or from the terms of the Fund's Plan. The Fund estimates that it has distributed more than its income and net realized capital gains; therefore, a portion of your distribution may be a return of capital. A return of capital may occur, for example, when some or all of the money that you invested in the Fund is paid back to you. A return of capital distribution does not necessarily reflect the Fund’s investment performance and should not be confused with “yield” or “income”. The amounts and sources of distributions reported in this Notice are only estimates, are likely to change over time, and are not being provided for tax reporting purposes. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for accounting and tax reporting purposes will depend upon the Fund's investment experience during the entirety of its fiscal year and may be subject to changes based on tax regulations. The amounts and sources of distributions year-to-date may be subject to additional adjustments.

THE FUND WILL SEND YOU A FORM 1099-DIV FOR THE CALENDAR YEAR THAT WILL TELL YOU HOW TO REPORT THESE DISTRIBUTIONS FOR FEDERAL INCOME TAX PURPOSES.

-1-

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Fund Performance and Distribution Information

 

Presented below are return figures, based on the change in the Fund's net asset value ("NAV") per share, compared to the annualized distribution rate for this current distribution as a percentage of the NAV on the last day of the month prior to the Fund’s most recent distribution record date.

 

Fiscal Year-to-Date (January 1, 2023 to February 28, 2023)

Annualized Distribution Rate as a % of NAV*	5.42%
Cumulative Distribution Rate on NAV*	0.00%
Cumulative Total Return on NAV**	2.95%
Average Annual Total Return (in relation to NAV) for the five-year period ended February 28, 2023***	5.50%

 

*	Based on the Fund's NAV as of February 28, 2023.

 

**	Cumulative fiscal year-to-date return is based on the change in NAV including distributions paid and assuming reinvestment of these distributions for the period January 1, 2023 through February 28, 2023.

 

***	Average annual total return is based on change in NAV including distributions paid and assuming reinvestment of these distributions and is through the last business day of the month prior to the month of the current distribution record date.

 

The payment of distributions in accordance with the Plan may result in a decrease in the Fund's net assets.  A decrease in the Fund's net assets may cause an increase in the Fund's annual operating expense ratio and a decrease in the Fund's market price per share to the extent the market price correlates closely to the Fund's NAV per share.  The Plan also may negatively affect the Fund's investment activities to the extent that the Fund is required to hold larger cash positions than it typically would hold or to the extent that the Fund must liquidate securities that it would not have sold, for the purpose of paying the distribution.

The current distribution amount of $0.12285 per share of the Fund's common stock equates to an annualized distribution rate of 6.00% based on the Fund’s NAV per share as of October 31, 2022.  The annualized rate is expected to change over time as the Fund's NAV varies. The Board will review periodically the terms of the Plan, including at least annually, to determine whether to adjust the amount or the calculation of the distribution rate, which may be affected by numerous factors, including changes in realized and projected market returns, Fund performance and other factors.  The Board may amend the terms of the Plan or terminate the Plan at any time without prior notice to the Fund's stockholders.  The amendment or termination of the Plan could have an adverse effect on the market price of the Fund's shares of common stock.

For additional information, please contact the Fund at [phone].

-2-

THE SWISS HELVETIA FUND, INC.

Notification of Sources of Distribution

Pursuant to Section 19(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

Important Information Regarding Your Quarterly Distribution

As previously announced, on June 30, 2023, The Swiss Helvetia Fund, Inc. (the "Fund") paid a quarterly distribution of $0.12285 per share of the Fund’s common stock to all stockholders of record as of June 21, 2023, pursuant to the Fund’s managed distribution plan (the “Plan”).

As a general matter, the amount of the Fund’s distributable income depends on the aggregate gains and losses realized by the Fund during the Fund’s entire fiscal year.  Distributions may consist of net investment income, capital gains and return of capital but the character of these distributions cannot be determined until after the end of the Fund’s fiscal year.  However, under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the terms of the Plan, the Fund may be required to indicate the source of each distribution to its stockholders.  The following table sets forth the estimated sources of the current distribution, and the cumulative distributions paid during the 2023 fiscal year from the sources indicated in the table. All amounts in the following table are expressed on a per common share basis and as a percentage of the distribution amount.

                     

DISTRIBUTION ESTIMATES

Current Distribution

2023 Fiscal Year *

	Per Share Amount	% of Current Distribution	Per Share Amount	% of the 2023 Distributions
Net Investment Income	$0.10991	89.47%	$0.13875	56.47%
Net Realized Short-Term Capital Gains	$0.00132	1.07%	$0.00000	0.00%
Net Realized Long-Term Capital Gains	$0.01162	9.46%	$0.00680	2.77%
Return of Capital (or other Capital Source)	$0.00000	0.00%	$0.10015	40.76%
TOTAL	$0.12285	100.00%	$0.24570	100.00%

 

* The Fund's 2023 fiscal year began on January 1, 2023 and ends on December 31, 2023.

 

You should not draw any conclusions about the Fund's investment performance from the amount of this distribution or from the terms of the Fund's Plan. The Fund estimates that it has distributed more than its income and net realized capital gains; therefore, a portion of your distribution may be a return of capital. A return of capital may occur, for example, when some or all of the money that you invested in the Fund is paid back to you. A return of capital distribution does not necessarily reflect the Fund’s investment performance and should not be confused with “yield” or “income”. The amounts and sources of distributions reported in this Notice are only estimates, are likely to change over time, and are not being provided for tax reporting purposes. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for accounting and tax reporting purposes will depend upon the Fund's investment experience during the entirety of its fiscal year and may be subject to changes based on tax regulations. The amounts and sources of distributions year-to-date may be subject to additional adjustments.

THE FUND WILL SEND YOU A FORM 1099-DIV FOR THE CALENDAR YEAR THAT WILL TELL YOU HOW TO REPORT THESE DISTRIBUTIONS FOR FEDERAL INCOME TAX PURPOSES.

-1-

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Fund Performance and Distribution Information

 

Presented below are return figures, based on the change in the Fund's net asset value ("NAV") per share, compared to the annualized distribution rate for this current distribution as a percentage of the NAV on the last day of the month prior to the Fund’s most recent distribution record date.

Fiscal Year-to-Date (January 1, 2023 to May 31, 2023)

Annualized Distribution Rate as a % of NAV*	5.16%
Cumulative Distribution Rate on NAV*	1.29%
Cumulative Total Return on NAV**	9.66%
Average Annual Total Return (in relation to NAV) for the five-year period ended May 31, 2023***	7.85%

 

*	Based on the Fund's NAV as of May 31, 2023.

 

**	Cumulative fiscal year-to-date return is based on the change in NAV including distributions paid and assuming reinvestment of these distributions for the period January 1, 2023 through May 31, 2023.

 

***	Average annual total return is based on change in NAV including distributions paid and assuming reinvestment of these distributions and is through the last business day of the month prior to the month of the current distribution record date.

 

The payment of distributions in accordance with the Plan may result in a decrease in the Fund's net assets.  A decrease in the Fund's net assets may cause an increase in the Fund's annual operating expense ratio and a decrease in the Fund's market price per share to the extent the market price correlates closely to the Fund's NAV per share.  The Plan also may negatively affect the Fund's investment activities to the extent that the Fund is required to hold larger cash positions than it typically would hold or to the extent that the Fund must liquidate securities that it would not have sold, for the purpose of paying the distribution.

The current distribution amount of $0.12285 per share of the Fund's common stock equates to an annualized distribution rate of 6.00% based on the Fund’s NAV per share as of October 31, 2022.  The annualized rate is expected to change over time as the Fund's NAV varies. The Board will review periodically the terms of the Plan, including at least annually, to determine whether to adjust the amount or the calculation of the distribution rate, which may be affected by numerous factors, including changes in realized and projected market returns, Fund performance and other factors.  The Board may amend the terms of the Plan or terminate the Plan at any time without prior notice to the Fund's stockholders.  The amendment or termination of the Plan could have an adverse effect on the market price of the Fund's shares of common stock.

For additional information, please contact the Fund at [phone].

-2-

THE SWISS HELVETIA FUND, INC.

Notification of Sources of Distribution

Pursuant to Section 19(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

Important Information Regarding Your Quarterly Distribution

As previously announced, on September 29, 2023, The Swiss Helvetia Fund, Inc. (the "Fund") paid a quarterly distribution of $0.12285 per share of the Fund’s common stock to all stockholders of record as of September 20, 2023, pursuant to the Fund’s managed distribution plan (the “Plan”).

As a general matter, the amount of the Fund’s distributable income depends on the aggregate gains and losses realized by the Fund during the Fund’s entire fiscal year.  Distributions may consist of net investment income, capital gains and return of capital but the character of these distributions cannot be determined until after the end of the Fund’s fiscal year.  However, under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the terms of the Plan, the Fund may be required to indicate the source of each distribution to its stockholders.  The following table sets forth the estimated sources of the current distribution, and the cumulative distributions paid during the 2023 fiscal year from the sources indicated in the table. All amounts in the following table are expressed on a per common share basis and as a percentage of the distribution amount.

 

                     

DISTRIBUTION ESTIMATES

Current Distribution

2023 Fiscal Year *

	Per Share Amount	% of Current Distribution	Per Share Amount	% of the 2023 Distributions
Net Investment Income	$0.00000	0.00%	$0.10028	27.21%
Net Realized Short-Term Capital Gains	$0.03388	27.58%	$0.04549	12.34%
Net Realized Long-Term Capital Gains	$0.00701	5.71%	$0.00220	0.60%
Return of Capital (or other Capital Source)	$0.08196	66.71%	$0.22058	59.85%
TOTAL	$0.12285	100.00%	$0.36855	100.00%

 

* The Fund's 2023 fiscal year began on January 1, 2023 and ends on December 31, 2023.

You should not draw any conclusions about the Fund's investment performance from the amount of this distribution or from the terms of the Fund's Plan. The Fund estimates that it has distributed more than its income and net realized capital gains; therefore, a portion of your distribution may be a return of capital. A return of capital may occur, for example, when some or all of the money that you invested in the Fund is paid back to you. A return of capital distribution does not necessarily reflect the Fund’s investment performance and should not be confused with “yield” or “income”. The amounts and sources of distributions reported in this Notice are only estimates, are likely to change over time, and are not being provided for tax reporting purposes. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for accounting and tax reporting purposes will depend upon the Fund's investment experience during the entirety of its fiscal year and may be subject to changes based on tax regulations. The amounts and sources of distributions year-to-date may be subject to additional adjustments.

THE FUND WILL SEND YOU A FORM 1099-DIV FOR THE CALENDAR YEAR THAT WILL TELL YOU HOW TO REPORT THESE DISTRIBUTIONS FOR FEDERAL INCOME TAX PURPOSES.

-1-

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Fund Performance and Distribution Information

 

Presented below are return figures, based on the change in the Fund's net asset value ("NAV") per share, compared to the annualized distribution rate for this current distribution as a percentage of the NAV on the last day of the month prior to the Fund’s most recent distribution record date.

Fiscal Year-to-Date (January 1, 2023 to August 31, 2023)

Annualized Distribution Rate as a % of NAV*	5.08%
Cumulative Distribution Rate on NAV*	2.54%
Cumulative Total Return on NAV**	12.92%
Average Annual Total Return (in relation to NAV) for the five-year period ended August 31, 2023***	7.17%

 

*	Based on the Fund's NAV as of August 31, 2023.

 

**	Cumulative fiscal year-to-date return is based on the change in NAV including distributions paid and assuming reinvestment of these distributions for the period January 1, 2023 through August 31, 2023.

 

***	Average annual total return is based on change in NAV including distributions paid and assuming reinvestment of these distributions and is through the last business day of the month prior to the month of the current distribution record date.

The payment of distributions in accordance with the Plan may result in a decrease in the Fund's net assets.  A decrease in the Fund's net assets may cause an increase in the Fund's annual operating expense ratio and a decrease in the Fund's market price per share to the extent the market price correlates closely to the Fund's NAV per share.  The Plan also may negatively affect the Fund's investment activities to the extent that the Fund is required to hold larger cash positions than it typically would hold or to the extent that the Fund must liquidate securities that it would not have sold, for the purpose of paying the distribution.

The current distribution amount of $0.12285 per share of the Fund's common stock equates to an annualized distribution rate of 6.00% based on the Fund’s NAV per share as of October 31, 2022.  The annualized rate is expected to change over time as the Fund's NAV varies. The Board will review periodically the terms of the Plan, including at least annually, to determine whether to adjust the amount or the calculation of the distribution rate, which may be affected by numerous factors, including changes in realized and projected market returns, Fund performance and other factors.  The Board may amend the terms of the Plan or terminate the Plan at any time without prior notice to the Fund's stockholders.  The amendment or termination of the Plan could have an adverse effect on the market price of the Fund's shares of common stock.

For additional information, please contact the Fund at [phone].

-2-

THE SWISS HELVETIA FUND, INC.

Notification of Sources of Distribution

Pursuant to Section 19(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

Important Information Regarding Your Quarterly Distribution

As previously announced, on December 29, 2023, The Swiss Helvetia Fund, Inc. (the "Fund") paid a quarterly distribution of $0.129 per share of the Fund’s common stock to all stockholders of record as of December 19, 2023, pursuant to the Fund’s managed distribution plan (the “Plan”).

As a general matter, the amount of the Fund’s distributable income depends on the aggregate gains and losses realized by the Fund during the Fund’s entire fiscal year.  Distributions may consist of net investment income, capital gains and return of capital but the character of these distributions cannot be determined until after the end of the Fund’s fiscal year.  However, under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the terms of the Plan, the Fund may be required to indicate the source of each distribution to its stockholders.  The following table sets forth the estimated sources of the current distribution, and the cumulative distributions paid during the 2023 fiscal year from the sources indicated in the table. All amounts in the following table are expressed on a per common share basis and as a percentage of the distribution amount.

 

                     

DISTRIBUTION ESTIMATES

Current Distribution

2023 Fiscal Year *

	Per Share Amount	% of Current Distribution	Per Share Amount	% of the 2023 Distributions
Net Investment Income	$0.00000	0.00%	$0.07748	15.57%
Net Realized Short-Term Capital Gains	$0.00000	0.00%	$0.00220	0.44%
Net Realized Long-Term Capital Gains	$0.10041	77.84%	$0.14590	29.33%
Return of Capital (or other Capital Source)	$0.02859	22.16%	$0.27197	54.66%
TOTAL	$0.129	100.00%	$0.49755	100.00%

 

* The Fund's 2023 fiscal year began on January 1, 2023 and ends on December 31, 2023.

 

You should not draw any conclusions about the Fund's investment performance from the amount of this distribution or from the terms of the Fund's Plan. The Fund estimates that it has distributed more than its income and net realized capital gains; therefore, a portion of your distribution may be a return of capital. A return of capital may occur, for example, when some or all of the money that you invested in the Fund is paid back to you. A return of capital distribution does not necessarily reflect the Fund’s investment performance and should not be confused with “yield” or “income”. The amounts and sources of distributions reported in this Notice are only estimates, are likely to change over time, and are not being provided for tax reporting purposes. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for accounting and tax reporting purposes will depend upon the Fund's investment experience during the entirety of its fiscal year and may be subject to changes based on tax regulations. The amounts and sources of distributions year-to-date may be subject to additional adjustments.

THE FUND WILL SEND YOU A FORM 1099-DIV FOR THE CALENDAR YEAR THAT WILL TELL YOU HOW TO REPORT THESE DISTRIBUTIONS FOR FEDERAL INCOME TAX PURPOSES.

-1-

---

Fund Performance and Distribution Information

Presented below are return figures, based on the change in the Fund's net asset value ("NAV") per share, compared to the annualized distribution rate for this current distribution as a percentage of the NAV on the last day of the month prior to the Fund’s most recent distribution record date.

 

Fiscal Year-to-Date (January 1, 2023 to November 30, 2023)

Annualized Distriution Rate as a % of NAV*	5.33%
Cumulative Distribution Rate on NAV*	3.95%
Cumulative Total Return on NAV**	10.27%
Average Annual Total Return (in relation to NAV) for the five-year period ended November 30, 2023***	7.01%

 

*	Based on the Fund's NAV as of November 30, 2023.

 

**	Cumulative fiscal year-to-date return is based on the change in NAV including distributions paid and assuming reinvestment of these distributions for the period January 1, 2023 through November 30, 2023.

 

***	Average annual total return is based on change in NAV including distributions paid and assuming reinvestment of these distributions and is through the last business day of the month prior to the month of the current distribution record date.

 

The payment of distributions in accordance with the Plan may result in a decrease in the Fund's net assets.  A decrease in the Fund's net assets may cause an increase in the Fund's annual operating expense ratio and a decrease in the Fund's market price per share to the extent the market price correlates closely to the Fund's NAV per share.  The Plan also may negatively affect the Fund's investment activities to the extent that the Fund is required to hold larger cash positions than it typically would hold or to the extent that the Fund must liquidate securities that it would not have sold, for the purpose of paying the distribution.

The current distribution amount of $0.129 per share of the Fund's common stock equates to an annualized distribution rate of 6.00% based on the Fund’s NAV per share as of October 31, 2023.  The annualized rate is expected to change over time as the Fund's NAV varies. The Board will review periodically the terms of the Plan, including at least annually, to determine whether to adjust the amount or the calculation of the distribution rate, which may be affected by numerous factors, including changes in realized and projected market returns, Fund performance and other factors.  The Board may amend the terms of the Plan or terminate the Plan at any time without prior notice to the Fund's stockholders.  The amendment or termination of the Plan could have an adverse effect on the market price of the Fund's shares of common stock.

For additional information, please contact the Fund at [phone].

-2-

N-2 - $ / shares		12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2023	Dec. 31, 2023	Dec. 31, 2022	Dec. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Cover [Abstract]
Entity Central Index Key		0000813623
Amendment Flag		false
Document Type		N-CSR
Entity Registrant Name		Swiss Helvetia Fund, Inc.
General Description of Registrant [Abstract]
Investment Objectives and Practices [Text Block]		Investment Objective and Principal Investment Strategies The following summarizes the Fund’s current investment objective and principal investment strategies:   Investment Objective The Fund’s investment objective is to seek long-term capital appreciation through investment in equity and equity-linked securities of Swiss companies.  The Fund also may acquire and hold equity and equity-linked securities of non-Swiss companies in the limited instance where: (1) the Fund holds an investment in a Swiss company, and (2) such Swiss company undergoes a merger, takeover, reorganization or other form of business combination with a non-Swiss issuer (a “reorganization”), or reorganizes (or “redomiciles”) itself as a new corporate entity outside of Switzerland, and (3) the Fund, as a stockholder in the Swiss company, acquires equity or equity-linked securities in the non-Swiss issuer as a result of the transaction.  The Fund would be permitted, but not required, to reacquire equity and equity-linked securities of Swiss companies that have redomiciled, so long as the Fund held an investment in the Swiss company at or before the time the company redomiciled. The Fund’s investment objective is fundamental and may not be changed without the approval of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities.   Principal Investment Strategies The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by normally investing at least 80% of its net assets, plus borrowings for investment purposes, in Swiss-equity and equity linked securities that are traded on a Swiss stock exchange, traded at the pre-bourse level of one or more Swiss stock exchanges, traded through a market maker or over the counter in Switzerland.  The Fund also may invest in Swiss-equity and equity-linked securities of Swiss companies that are traded on other major European stock exchanges.  Equity and equity-linked securities include registered shares, bearer shares, participation and dividend certificates, convertible bonds and bonds with warrants attached and unattached warrants.   For defensive purposes, during a period in which changes in Swiss equity markets or other adverse economic conditions or changes in Swiss political conditions warrant, the Fund may temporarily reduce its position in equity securities and invest in Sfr-denominated bank deposits, short-term debt or money market instruments.   The Fund may invest in securities of Swiss Real Estate Companies (as defined below), and acquire, hold and sell real estate or mortgages on real estate acquired through default, liquidation or other distributions or an interest in real estate as a result of the Fund’s ownership of such securities.  Additionally, the Fund may invest a portion of its assets in investment companies and in certain pooled investment vehicles, including those that invest in private equity by investing in private equity funds (so-called “funds of funds”) or by making direct investments, including in infrastructure projects and real estate investments.   The Fund is permitted to (i) leverage up to 10% of its total assets (including the amount borrowed) and (ii) engage in certain options transactions.  The Fund may borrow money for investment purposes and as a temporary measure for various purposes, including the payment of dividends.  The Fund may enter into options to hedge market risk and to generate income.   No assurance can be given that the Fund’s investment objective will be achieved.   Investment Philosophy and Process In making investment decisions securities are evaluated for the opportunity for capital appreciation as well as for their potential to provide regular income and growth of income. The Adviser reviews each company’s potential for success in light of general economic and industry trends, as well as the company’s quality of management, financial condition, business plan, industry and sector market position, dividend payout ratio and corporate governance. Fundamental research efforts are enhanced through communication among the portfolio managers and the company’s management team, who conduct internal research and extract information from external research. The portfolio managers communicate frequently with external analysts, and in-person visits with company management, together with local knowledge, help to provide opinions critical to investing in Swiss companies. The macroeconomic environment is reflected in fair value models. It is also taken into account in portfolio construction, where disciplined risk diversification is applied. In addition, the Adviser incorporates financially material environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors into its investment process. The Adviser evaluates the impact and risk around issues such as climate change, environmental performance, labor standards and corporate governance, which it views as important in its assessment of a company’s risk and potential for profitability.   Common Stocks. The Fund primarily invests in equity and equity-linked securities in the form of common stock. Common stocks represent the residual ownership interest in the issuer and holders of common stock are entitled to the income and increase in the value of the assets and business of the issuer after all of its debt obligations and obligations to preferred stockholders are satisfied. Common stocks generally have voting rights. Common stocks fluctuate in price in response to many factors including historical and prospective earnings of the issuer, the value of its assets, general economic conditions, interest rates, investor perceptions and market liquidity.   Convertible Securities. The Fund may invest in convertible securities, which include fixed income securities that may be exchanged or converted into a predetermined number of shares of the issuer’s underlying common stock at the option of the holder during a specified period. Convertible securities may take the form of convertible preferred stock, convertible bonds or debentures, units consisting of bonds and warrants or a combination of the features of several of these securities. Investment characteristics of convertible securities vary widely, which allows these securities to be employed for a variety of investment strategies.   Investment Companies and Other Pooled Investment Vehicles. The Fund may invest in other investment companies, and may invest up to 5% of its total assets in pooled investment vehicles that invest in private equity by investing in private equity funds (so-called “funds of funds”) or by making direct investments, including in infrastructure projects and real estate investments. The Fund is only permitted to invest in investment companies to the extent permitted by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), and as consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and policies. Investments in private equity funds and other pooled investment vehicles are not subject to the limitations on investing in investment companies imposed by the 1940 Act. Private equity funds are typically structured as either limited partnerships or limited liability companies with a fixed-life, usually around ten years. The general partner of the private equity fund, who also is typically its adviser, makes investments, monitors them and finally exits them for a return on behalf of the limited partners, which are investors such as the Fund. The private equity fund’s assets are typically invested within three to five years, and after all investments are fully divested, the private equity fund can be terminated.   Illiquid and Restricted Securities. The Fund may invest up to 10% of its total assets in illiquid securities (i.e., securities that are not readily marketable). For this purpose, illiquid securities include, but are not limited to, restricted securities (securities the disposition of which is restricted under the Federal securities laws) and securities that may be resold pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act, but that are deemed to be illiquid. It is expected that these illiquid securities will generally consist of equity or equity-linked securities purchased in privately negotiated transactions.   Swiss Real Estate Companies. The Fund may invest in equity and equity-linked securities issued by Swiss real estate companies, including Real Estate Investment Trusts (“REITs”) or REIT-like structures (“Swiss Real Estate Companies”). The Fund considers a real estate company to be a company that derives at least 50% of its revenue from the ownership, construction, financing, management or sale of commercial, industrial or residential real estate or has at least 50% of its assets in real estate investments. The Fund considers a real estate company to be a Swiss Real Estate Company if it: (1) is organized in or has its principal office in Switzerland or (2) has a significant amount of real estate assets or investments in Switzerland, even if it is organized or its principal office is outside of Switzerland. The Fund’s investment in Swiss Real Estate Companies is deemed to be an investment in Swiss equity or equity-linked securities for purposes of the Fund’s investment objective.   Options Transactions. The Fund may engage in the following options transactions: (i) buying calls on securities in which the Fund can invest; (ii) buying calls on Swiss stock indices; (iii) writing covered calls on securities in which the Fund can invest; (iv) buying puts on these types of securities; and (v) buying puts on Swiss stock indices. The Fund may engage in these options transactions on an established Swiss exchange, European exchange (e.g., Eurex) or through privately negotiated transactions referred to as over-the-counter options. The Adviser may utilize options contracts to manage the Fund’s exposure to changing security prices.
Risk Factors [Table Text Block]		Principal Risks The following summarizes the principal risks of an investment in the Fund:   General Risks of Investing in the Fund   Investment and Market Risk. An investment in the Fund is subject to investment risk, including the possible loss of the entire amount that you invest. Common stock prices, including the prices of shares of the Fund’s Common Stock are sensitive to general movements in the stock market. Securities of a company may decline in value due to its financial prospects and activities, including certain operational impacts, such as data breaches and cybersecurity attacks. Securities may also decline in value due to general market and economic movements and trends, including adverse changes to credit markets, inflation, supply chain disruptions, and labor shortages, or as a result of other events such as geopolitical events, including, in particular, armed conflict such as is being experienced in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, natural disasters, or widespread pandemics or other adverse public health developments.  As part of the Advisers’ investment strategy, the Adviser evaluates certain factors as part of its fundamental analysis, including financially material ESG factors.  The analysis of these factors may not work as intended.  Market prices of the Fund’s shares of Common Stock may be affected by investors’ perceptions regarding closed-end funds generally or the Fund’s specific underlying investments.   Market Price Discount from Net Asset Value. Shares of closed-end investment companies frequently trade at a discount from net asset value. This is a risk separate and distinct from the risk that the Fund’s net asset value will decrease. The Fund cannot predict whether shares of its Common Stock will trade at, above or below net asset value, but the Fund’s Common Stock has generally traded at a discount.   Foreign Securities Risk. In addition to the specific risks associated with investing in Swiss securities (see, “Risk Factors—General Risks of Investing in Swiss Securities—Swiss Securities Risk”), foreign investments generally may involve certain considerations and risks not typically associated with those of domestic origin as a result of, among other things, the possibility of political and economic developments and the level of governmental supervision and regulation of foreign securities markets.   Equity Securities Risk. Common stock holds the lowest priority in the capital structure of a company, and therefore takes the largest share of the company’s risk and its accompanying volatility. An adverse event, such as an unfavorable earnings report, may depress the value of a particular common stock. Also, prices of common stocks are sensitive to general market movements.   Convertible Securities Risk. Convertible securities are bonds, debentures, notes, preferred securities or other securities that may be converted or exchanged (by the holder or the issuer) into shares of the underlying common stock (or cash or securities of equivalent value), either at a stated price or stated rate. Convertible securities have characteristics similar to both fixed income and equity securities. Convertible securities generally are subordinated to other similar but nonconvertible securities of the same issuer, although convertible bonds, as corporate debt obligations, enjoy seniority in right of payment to all equity securities, and convertible preferred stock is senior to common stock, of the same issuer.   Illiquid and Restricted Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in restricted securities and other investments that may be illiquid. Illiquid investments involve the risk that the securities will not be able to be sold at the time desired by the Fund or at prices approximating the value at which the Fund is carrying the securities on its books.   The Fund also may be subject to a heightened liquidity risk in respect of its investments in private equity securities, including: (i) lack of a public market; (ii) dependence on an exit strategy, such as an initial public offering or sale of a business, which may not occur to realize the anticipated value of an investment or even dispose of the investment without a significant or total loss; and (iii) dependence on managerial assistance provided by other investors and the willingness of other investors or third parties to provide additional financial support to the issuer.   Investing in Investment Companies and Other Pooled Investment Vehicles. The Fund’s stockholders will be subject to duplicative expenses to the extent the Fund invests in other investment companies or pooled investment vehicles. A profit-sharing fee arrangement may create incentives for an adviser or manager to take greater investment risks in an attempt to realize a higher profit participation percentage. The securities of other investment companies and pooled investment vehicles also may be leveraged and may, depending on the extent of leverage, be subject to greater leverage risks than to which the Fund is subject. Investment companies and pooled investment vehicles in which the Fund may invest may have investment policies that differ from those of the Fund. In addition, the Fund will be dependent upon the investment and research abilities of persons other than the Adviser.   Investments in private equity funds are “illiquid.” It will be difficult for the Fund to gain access to, or liquidate, its capital contribution as those assets are “locked-up” in long-term investments by the private equity fund that usually last for approximately ten years and sometimes longer. Distributions are made only as investments are converted to cash, and the Fund typically will have no right to demand that sales be made. As such, the Fund and its stockholders may not see a realized return on an investment in a private equity fund for a number of years after its initial capital contribution.   Investing in private equity funds presents the additional risk that the Fund may have limited access to information concerning the underlying fund and its investments. For funds that are not listed on an exchange, the Adviser will fair value the Fund’s investment pursuant to procedures approved by the Fund’s Board of Directors. Although the Adviser will review the valuations provided by the funds, the Adviser may not be able to confirm independently the accuracy of such valuations.   Swiss Real Estate Company Risk. In addition to the general risks associated with investing in Swiss equity and equity-linked securities, the Fund’s investments in Swiss Real Estate Companies will be linked to the performance of the Swiss real estate markets. The Fund will not generally invest in real estate directly, and will typically invest only in securities issued by Swiss Real Estate Companies. However, the Fund also is subject to the risks associated with the direct ownership of real estate. These risks include: (i) declines in the value of real estate; (ii) risks related to general and local economic conditions; (iii) overbuilding and extended vacancies of properties; (iv) increases in property taxes and operating expenses; (v) costs and liabilities associated with environmental problems; and (vi) casualty or condemnation losses. The yields available from investments in real estate depend on the amount of income and capital appreciation generated by the related properties. Property values may fall due to increasing vacancies or declining rents resulting from unanticipated economic, legal, cultural or technological developments. Performance of investments in REITs and REIT-like structures may decline as a result of the failure of borrowers to pay their loans and poor management. Income and real estate values also may be adversely affected by such factors as applicable laws, interest rate levels and the availability of financing. In addition, real estate investments are relatively illiquid and, therefore, the ability of real estate companies to vary their portfolios promptly in response to changes in economic or other conditions is limited.   Options Risk. The Fund is permitted, but not required, to engage in certain options transactions (relating to securities in which the Fund can invest and Swiss stock indices) which are considered derivative instruments. The use of these options involves risks different from or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in the underlying assets. The Adviser’s may utilize options to manage the Fund’s exposure to changing security prices. Successful use by the Fund of options will be subject to the Adviser’s ability to predict correctly movements in the prices of securities and indices underlying options and the stock market generally. To the extent the Adviser’s predictions are incorrect, the Fund may incur losses.   Leverage Risk. Using leverage is a speculative investment technique. The use of leverage may result in higher volatility of the net asset value and the market value of the Fund’s Common Stock. Because the interest rates on borrowings may vary, the Fund’s return will fall if interest rates rise and the Fund’s income will fluctuate. If the market value of the Fund’s portfolio declines, the leverage will result in a greater decrease in net asset value than if the Fund were not leveraged. The Fund will pay any costs and expenses relating to any borrowings. To the extent that the Fund is required or elects to prepay any borrowings, the Fund may need to liquidate investments to fund such prepayments. Liquidation at times of adverse economic conditions may result in capital loss and reduce returns. There can be no assurance that any leverage strategy the Fund employs will be successful.   General Risks of Investing in Swiss Securities Swiss Securities Risk. Trading in Swiss equities involves certain risks and special considerations not usually associated with investing in securities of established U.S. companies, including (i) risks related to the nature of the market for Swiss equities, including the risk that the Swiss equities markets may be affected by market developments in different ways than U.S. securities markets and may be more volatile than U.S. securities markets; (ii) political and economic risks with respect to Switzerland, including the possible imposition of, or changes in, currency exchange laws or other Swiss laws or restrictions applicable to investments in Swiss equities; and (iii) fluctuations in the rate of exchange between currencies and costs associated with currency conversion.   Swiss Market and Concentration Risk. The Swiss securities markets have substantially less trading volume than the U.S. securities markets. Additionally, the capitalization of the Swiss securities markets is highly concentrated. As of December 31, 2023, the top three holdings in the main overall performance index in Switzerland, the Swiss Performance Index, accounted for 42% of the index.  By comparison, as of the same date, the Fund has three holdings that exceed 5% of its net assets which, in the aggregate, constitute 39.4% of its net assets.  Securities of some companies located in Switzerland will be less liquid and more volatile than securities of comparable U.S. companies. This combination of lower volume and greater concentration in the Swiss securities markets may create a risk of greater price volatility than in the U.S. securities markets. Commissions for trading on Swiss exchanges are generally higher than commissions for trading on U.S. exchanges, although the Adviser seeks the most favorable net results (taking into account transaction costs) on the Fund’s portfolio transactions and, in certain instances, may be able to purchase portfolio investments on which commissions are negotiable. Further, Swiss markets typically have less government supervision compared to the U.S. markets.   Disclosure Standards Risk. Swiss reporting, accounting and auditing standards differ from U.S. standards in important respects. Swiss corporations, other than subsidiaries of U.S. companies, do not provide all of the disclosure required by U.S. law and accounting practice, and such disclosure may be less timely than required of U.S. companies by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) or under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”). As a result, less specific information may be available to investors in Swiss securities than to investors in U.S. securities. Swiss banks and insurance companies are subject to stricter disclosure requirements than other Swiss companies, but these rules are not as comprehensive as SEC or U.S. GAAP reporting standards.   Foreign Currency and Exchange Rate Risk. Substantially all of the Fund’s assets are invested in Swiss equities and equity-linked securities. In addition, the Fund makes its temporary investments in Swiss franc-denominated bank deposits, short-term debt securities and money market instruments. Substantially all income received by the Fund is in Swiss francs. The Fund’s net asset value, however, is reported, and distributions from the Fund are made, in U.S. dollars. Historically, the Fund has not entered into transactions designed to reduce currency risk and does not intend to do so in the future. Accordingly, currency risks in connection with investments in the Fund will be borne by investors. Therefore, the Fund’s reported net asset value and distributions could be adversely affected by devaluation of the Swiss franc relative to the U.S. dollar. In addition, the Fund computes its income at the foreign   exchange rate in effect on the day of its receipt by the Fund. If the value of the Swiss franc falls relative to the U.S. dollar between the date the Fund receives such income and the date it makes distributions, and, if the Fund has insufficient cash in U.S. dollars to meet distribution requirements, it may be required to liquidate securities in order to make distributions. There is no assurance that the Fund will be able to liquidate securities in order to meet such distribution requirements. Such liquidations, if required, also may adversely affect the Fund.   Tax Risk. Dividends and certain interest paid to the Fund by Swiss corporate entities will be subject to certain withholding taxes in Switzerland. Subject to certain limitations imposed by the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), foreign taxes withheld from distributions to the Fund or otherwise paid by the Fund may be creditable against taxes owed or deductible from income by U.S. stockholders for U.S. Federal income tax purposes if the Fund makes an election to treat the stockholders as having paid those taxes for U.S. Federal income tax purposes. The Fund’s ability to make such an election is subject to certain requirements in the Code. Although the Fund expects to be eligible to make such an election each year, and intends to do so if it is eligible, there is no assurance that the Fund will be eligible each year. If the election is made, the amount of such foreign taxes paid by the Fund will be includible as income to the stockholders for U.S. Federal income tax purposes. Non-U.S. investors may not be able to credit or deduct such foreign taxes, but may be deemed to have additional income from the Fund subject to U.S. withholding tax. Investors should review carefully the information discussed under “U.S. Federal Taxation” below and should discuss with their tax advisors the specific tax consequences of investing in the Fund.   Additional Risk Considerations Cybersecurity Risk. With the increased use of technologies by Fund service providers to conduct business, such as the Internet, the Fund is susceptible to operational, information security and related risks. In general, cyber incidents can result from deliberate attacks or unintentional events. Cybersecurity failures by or breaches of the Adviser or the Fund’s administrator and other service providers (including, but not limited to, the custodian or transfer agent), and the issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, may disrupt and otherwise adversely affect their business operations. This may result in financial losses to the Fund, impede Fund trading, interfere with the Fund’s ability to calculate its NAV, interfere with Fund stockholders’ ability to transact business or cause violations of applicable privacy and other laws, regulatory fines, penalties, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs, or additional compliance costs.   Non-Diversified Status. The Fund is classified as “non-diversified” under the 1940 Act. A non-diversified fund has the ability to invest more of its assets in securities of a single issuer than if it were classified as a “diversified” fund, which may increase volatility. If the Fund’s investment in an issuer represents a relatively significant percentage of the Fund’s portfolio, the value of the Fund’s portfolio will be more impacted by a loss on that investment than if the portfolio were more diversified.   Risk of Anti-Takeover Provisions. The Fund has provisions in its Articles of Incorporation and By-laws that could have the effect of delaying, deferring, preventing or otherwise limiting the ability of other entities or persons to acquire control of the Fund, to cause the Fund to engage in certain transactions or to modify the Fund’s structure. General Fund Investing Risks. The Fund is not a complete investment program and there is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. It is possible to lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit in a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Capital Stock, Long-Term Debt, and Other Securities [Abstract]
Capital Stock [Table Text Block]		Note 4—Capital Share Transactions The Fund is authorized to issue up to 50 million shares of capital stock. Transactions in capital shares were as follows:       For the Year Ended     For the Year Ended       December 31, 2023     December 31, 2022       Shares     Amount     Shares     Amount   Dividends Reinvested     —     $ —       —     $ —   Repurchased through Stock Repurchase Program (Note 6)     (205,045 )     (1,687,724 )     (16,504 )     (120,928 ) Repurchased from Tender Offer (Note 7)     —       —       —       —   Net Increase/(Decrease)     (205,045 )   $ (1,687,724 )     (16,504 )   $ (120,928 )
Document Period End Date		Dec. 31, 2023
Investment and Market Risk [Member]
General Description of Registrant [Abstract]
Risk [Text Block]		Investment and Market Risk. An investment in the Fund is subject to investment risk, including the possible loss of the entire amount that you invest. Common stock prices, including the prices of shares of the Fund’s Common Stock are sensitive to general movements in the stock market. Securities of a company may decline in value due to its financial prospects and activities, including certain operational impacts, such as data breaches and cybersecurity attacks. Securities may also decline in value due to general market and economic movements and trends, including adverse changes to credit markets, inflation, supply chain disruptions, and labor shortages, or as a result of other events such as geopolitical events, including, in particular, armed conflict such as is being experienced in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, natural disasters, or widespread pandemics or other adverse public health developments.  As part of the Advisers’ investment strategy, the Adviser evaluates certain factors as part of its fundamental analysis, including financially material ESG factors.  The analysis of these factors may not work as intended.  Market prices of the Fund’s shares of Common Stock may be affected by investors’ perceptions regarding closed-end funds generally or the Fund’s specific underlying investments.
Market Price Discount from Net Asset Value [Member]
General Description of Registrant [Abstract]
Risk [Text Block]		Market Price Discount from Net Asset Value. Shares of closed-end investment companies frequently trade at a discount from net asset value. This is a risk separate and distinct from the risk that the Fund’s net asset value will decrease. The Fund cannot predict whether shares of its Common Stock will trade at, above or below net asset value, but the Fund’s Common Stock has generally traded at a discount.
Foreign Securities Risk [Member]
General Description of Registrant [Abstract]
Risk [Text Block]		Foreign Securities Risk. In addition to the specific risks associated with investing in Swiss securities (see, “Risk Factors—General Risks of Investing in Swiss Securities—Swiss Securities Risk”), foreign investments generally may involve certain considerations and risks not typically associated with those of domestic origin as a result of, among other things, the possibility of political and economic developments and the level of governmental supervision and regulation of foreign securities markets.
Equity Securities Risk [Member]
General Description of Registrant [Abstract]
Risk [Text Block]		Equity Securities Risk. Common stock holds the lowest priority in the capital structure of a company, and therefore takes the largest share of the company’s risk and its accompanying volatility. An adverse event, such as an unfavorable earnings report, may depress the value of a particular common stock. Also, prices of common stocks are sensitive to general market movements.
Convertible Securities Risk [Member]
General Description of Registrant [Abstract]
Risk [Text Block]		Convertible Securities Risk. Convertible securities are bonds, debentures, notes, preferred securities or other securities that may be converted or exchanged (by the holder or the issuer) into shares of the underlying common stock (or cash or securities of equivalent value), either at a stated price or stated rate. Convertible securities have characteristics similar to both fixed income and equity securities. Convertible securities generally are subordinated to other similar but nonconvertible securities of the same issuer, although convertible bonds, as corporate debt obligations, enjoy seniority in right of payment to all equity securities, and convertible preferred stock is senior to common stock, of the same issuer.
Illiquid and Restricted Securities Risk [Member]
General Description of Registrant [Abstract]
Risk [Text Block]		Illiquid and Restricted Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in restricted securities and other investments that may be illiquid. Illiquid investments involve the risk that the securities will not be able to be sold at the time desired by the Fund or at prices approximating the value at which the Fund is carrying the securities on its books.   The Fund also may be subject to a heightened liquidity risk in respect of its investments in private equity securities, including: (i) lack of a public market; (ii) dependence on an exit strategy, such as an initial public offering or sale of a business, which may not occur to realize the anticipated value of an investment or even dispose of the investment without a significant or total loss; and (iii) dependence on managerial assistance provided by other investors and the willingness of other investors or third parties to provide additional financial support to the issuer.
Investing in Investment Companies and Other Pooled Investment Vehicles [Member]
General Description of Registrant [Abstract]
Risk [Text Block]		Investing in Investment Companies and Other Pooled Investment Vehicles. The Fund’s stockholders will be subject to duplicative expenses to the extent the Fund invests in other investment companies or pooled investment vehicles. A profit-sharing fee arrangement may create incentives for an adviser or manager to take greater investment risks in an attempt to realize a higher profit participation percentage. The securities of other investment companies and pooled investment vehicles also may be leveraged and may, depending on the extent of leverage, be subject to greater leverage risks than to which the Fund is subject. Investment companies and pooled investment vehicles in which the Fund may invest may have investment policies that differ from those of the Fund. In addition, the Fund will be dependent upon the investment and research abilities of persons other than the Adviser.   Investments in private equity funds are “illiquid.” It will be difficult for the Fund to gain access to, or liquidate, its capital contribution as those assets are “locked-up” in long-term investments by the private equity fund that usually last for approximately ten years and sometimes longer. Distributions are made only as investments are converted to cash, and the Fund typically will have no right to demand that sales be made. As such, the Fund and its stockholders may not see a realized return on an investment in a private equity fund for a number of years after its initial capital contribution.   Investing in private equity funds presents the additional risk that the Fund may have limited access to information concerning the underlying fund and its investments. For funds that are not listed on an exchange, the Adviser will fair value the Fund’s investment pursuant to procedures approved by the Fund’s Board of Directors. Although the Adviser will review the valuations provided by the funds, the Adviser may not be able to confirm independently the accuracy of such valuations.
Swiss Real Estate Company Risk [Member]
General Description of Registrant [Abstract]
Risk [Text Block]		Swiss Real Estate Company Risk. In addition to the general risks associated with investing in Swiss equity and equity-linked securities, the Fund’s investments in Swiss Real Estate Companies will be linked to the performance of the Swiss real estate markets. The Fund will not generally invest in real estate directly, and will typically invest only in securities issued by Swiss Real Estate Companies. However, the Fund also is subject to the risks associated with the direct ownership of real estate. These risks include: (i) declines in the value of real estate; (ii) risks related to general and local economic conditions; (iii) overbuilding and extended vacancies of properties; (iv) increases in property taxes and operating expenses; (v) costs and liabilities associated with environmental problems; and (vi) casualty or condemnation losses. The yields available from investments in real estate depend on the amount of income and capital appreciation generated by the related properties. Property values may fall due to increasing vacancies or declining rents resulting from unanticipated economic, legal, cultural or technological developments. Performance of investments in REITs and REIT-like structures may decline as a result of the failure of borrowers to pay their loans and poor management. Income and real estate values also may be adversely affected by such factors as applicable laws, interest rate levels and the availability of financing. In addition, real estate investments are relatively illiquid and, therefore, the ability of real estate companies to vary their portfolios promptly in response to changes in economic or other conditions is limited.
Options Risk [Member]
General Description of Registrant [Abstract]
Risk [Text Block]		Options Risk. The Fund is permitted, but not required, to engage in certain options transactions (relating to securities in which the Fund can invest and Swiss stock indices) which are considered derivative instruments. The use of these options involves risks different from or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in the underlying assets. The Adviser’s may utilize options to manage the Fund’s exposure to changing security prices. Successful use by the Fund of options will be subject to the Adviser’s ability to predict correctly movements in the prices of securities and indices underlying options and the stock market generally. To the extent the Adviser’s predictions are incorrect, the Fund may incur losses.
Leverage Risk [Member]
General Description of Registrant [Abstract]
Risk [Text Block]		Leverage Risk. Using leverage is a speculative investment technique. The use of leverage may result in higher volatility of the net asset value and the market value of the Fund’s Common Stock. Because the interest rates on borrowings may vary, the Fund’s return will fall if interest rates rise and the Fund’s income will fluctuate. If the market value of the Fund’s portfolio declines, the leverage will result in a greater decrease in net asset value than if the Fund were not leveraged. The Fund will pay any costs and expenses relating to any borrowings. To the extent that the Fund is required or elects to prepay any borrowings, the Fund may need to liquidate investments to fund such prepayments. Liquidation at times of adverse economic conditions may result in capital loss and reduce returns. There can be no assurance that any leverage strategy the Fund employs will be successful.
Swiss Securities Risk [Member]
General Description of Registrant [Abstract]
Risk [Text Block]		Swiss Securities Risk. Trading in Swiss equities involves certain risks and special considerations not usually associated with investing in securities of established U.S. companies, including (i) risks related to the nature of the market for Swiss equities, including the risk that the Swiss equities markets may be affected by market developments in different ways than U.S. securities markets and may be more volatile than U.S. securities markets; (ii) political and economic risks with respect to Switzerland, including the possible imposition of, or changes in, currency exchange laws or other Swiss laws or restrictions applicable to investments in Swiss equities; and (iii) fluctuations in the rate of exchange between currencies and costs associated with currency conversion.
Swiss Market and Concentration Risk [Member]
General Description of Registrant [Abstract]
Risk [Text Block]		Swiss Market and Concentration Risk. The Swiss securities markets have substantially less trading volume than the U.S. securities markets. Additionally, the capitalization of the Swiss securities markets is highly concentrated. As of December 31, 2023, the top three holdings in the main overall performance index in Switzerland, the Swiss Performance Index, accounted for 42% of the index.  By comparison, as of the same date, the Fund has three holdings that exceed 5% of its net assets which, in the aggregate, constitute 39.4% of its net assets.  Securities of some companies located in Switzerland will be less liquid and more volatile than securities of comparable U.S. companies. This combination of lower volume and greater concentration in the Swiss securities markets may create a risk of greater price volatility than in the U.S. securities markets. Commissions for trading on Swiss exchanges are generally higher than commissions for trading on U.S. exchanges, although the Adviser seeks the most favorable net results (taking into account transaction costs) on the Fund’s portfolio transactions and, in certain instances, may be able to purchase portfolio investments on which commissions are negotiable. Further, Swiss markets typically have less government supervision compared to the U.S. markets.
Disclosure Standards Risk [Member]
General Description of Registrant [Abstract]
Risk [Text Block]		Disclosure Standards Risk. Swiss reporting, accounting and auditing standards differ from U.S. standards in important respects. Swiss corporations, other than subsidiaries of U.S. companies, do not provide all of the disclosure required by U.S. law and accounting practice, and such disclosure may be less timely than required of U.S. companies by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) or under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”). As a result, less specific information may be available to investors in Swiss securities than to investors in U.S. securities. Swiss banks and insurance companies are subject to stricter disclosure requirements than other Swiss companies, but these rules are not as comprehensive as SEC or U.S. GAAP reporting standards.
Foreign Currency and Exchange Rate Risk [Member]
General Description of Registrant [Abstract]
Risk [Text Block]		Foreign Currency and Exchange Rate Risk. Substantially all of the Fund’s assets are invested in Swiss equities and equity-linked securities. In addition, the Fund makes its temporary investments in Swiss franc-denominated bank deposits, short-term debt securities and money market instruments. Substantially all income received by the Fund is in Swiss francs. The Fund’s net asset value, however, is reported, and distributions from the Fund are made, in U.S. dollars. Historically, the Fund has not entered into transactions designed to reduce currency risk and does not intend to do so in the future. Accordingly, currency risks in connection with investments in the Fund will be borne by investors. Therefore, the Fund’s reported net asset value and distributions could be adversely affected by devaluation of the Swiss franc relative to the U.S. dollar. In addition, the Fund computes its income at the foreign exchange rate in effect on the day of its receipt by the Fund. If the value of the Swiss franc falls relative to the U.S. dollar between the date the Fund receives such income and the date it makes distributions, and, if the Fund has insufficient cash in U.S. dollars to meet distribution requirements, it may be required to liquidate securities in order to make distributions. There is no assurance that the Fund will be able to liquidate securities in order to meet such distribution requirements. Such liquidations, if required, also may adversely affect the Fund.
Tax Risk [Member]
General Description of Registrant [Abstract]
Risk [Text Block]		Tax Risk. Dividends and certain interest paid to the Fund by Swiss corporate entities will be subject to certain withholding taxes in Switzerland. Subject to certain limitations imposed by the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), foreign taxes withheld from distributions to the Fund or otherwise paid by the Fund may be creditable against taxes owed or deductible from income by U.S. stockholders for U.S. Federal income tax purposes if the Fund makes an election to treat the stockholders as having paid those taxes for U.S. Federal income tax purposes. The Fund’s ability to make such an election is subject to certain requirements in the Code. Although the Fund expects to be eligible to make such an election each year, and intends to do so if it is eligible, there is no assurance that the Fund will be eligible each year. If the election is made, the amount of such foreign taxes paid by the Fund will be includible as income to the stockholders for U.S. Federal income tax purposes. Non-U.S. investors may not be able to credit or deduct such foreign taxes, but may be deemed to have additional income from the Fund subject to U.S. withholding tax. Investors should review carefully the information discussed under “U.S. Federal Taxation” below and should discuss with their tax advisors the specific tax consequences of investing in the Fund.
Cybersecurity Risk [Member]
General Description of Registrant [Abstract]
Risk [Text Block]		Cybersecurity Risk. With the increased use of technologies by Fund service providers to conduct business, such as the Internet, the Fund is susceptible to operational, information security and related risks. In general, cyber incidents can result from deliberate attacks or unintentional events. Cybersecurity failures by or breaches of the Adviser or the Fund’s administrator and other service providers (including, but not limited to, the custodian or transfer agent), and the issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, may disrupt and otherwise adversely affect their business operations. This may result in financial losses to the Fund, impede Fund trading, interfere with the Fund’s ability to calculate its NAV, interfere with Fund stockholders’ ability to transact business or cause violations of applicable privacy and other laws, regulatory fines, penalties, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs, or additional compliance costs.
Non-Diversified Status [Member]
General Description of Registrant [Abstract]
Risk [Text Block]		Non-Diversified Status. The Fund is classified as “non-diversified” under the 1940 Act. A non-diversified fund has the ability to invest more of its assets in securities of a single issuer than if it were classified as a “diversified” fund, which may increase volatility. If the Fund’s investment in an issuer represents a relatively significant percentage of the Fund’s portfolio, the value of the Fund’s portfolio will be more impacted by a loss on that investment than if the portfolio were more diversified.
Risk of Anti-Takeover Provisions [Member]
General Description of Registrant [Abstract]
Risk [Text Block]		Risk of Anti-Takeover Provisions. The Fund has provisions in its Articles of Incorporation and By-laws that could have the effect of delaying, deferring, preventing or otherwise limiting the ability of other entities or persons to acquire control of the Fund, to cause the Fund to engage in certain transactions or to modify the Fund’s structure.
General Fund Investing Risks [Member]
General Description of Registrant [Abstract]
Risk [Text Block]		General Fund Investing Risks. The Fund is not a complete investment program and there is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. It is possible to lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit in a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Common Shares [Member]
General Description of Registrant [Abstract]
Share Price	$ 8.20	$ 8.20	$ 7.56	$ 9.94	$ 8.94	$ 8.41
NAV Per Share	$ 9.76	$ 9.76	$ 8.80	$ 11.50	$ 10.45	$ 9.71
Capital Stock, Long-Term Debt, and Other Securities [Abstract]
Outstanding Security, Authorized [Shares]	50,000,000
Outstanding Security, Not Held [Shares]	12,990,705

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