NEW YORK, June 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Swiss Helvetia Fund, Inc. (the "Fund") (NYSE: SWZ), a closed-end investment company, announced today that its Board of Directors declared distributions consisting of  $0.021 short-term capital gains and $0.185 long-term capital gains for a total distribution of $0.206 per share. The distributions will be paid on August 12, 2016, in the form of stock, with an option to take cash, to stockholders of record on July 8, 2016. The distributions will trade "ex-dividend" on July 6, 2016. 

The Board of Directors also approved the appointment of Ms. Margaret M. Cannella as a non-interested Class I Director of the Fund for a three-year term. Ms. Cannella currently is an adjunct professor at Columbia Business School. She is on the Board of Advance Pierre Foods, Watford Reinsurance and the Schroder family of mutual funds advised by Schroder Investment Management North America Inc., the Fund's investment adviser. Ms. Cannella retired in 2009 from JP Morgan after more than 30 years in financial services, where she served, among other positions, as a Managing Director and Head of Global Credit Research and Head of North American Equity and Credit Research.

About The Swiss Helvetia Fund, Inc.

The Fund (www.swzfund.com) is a non-diversified, closed-end investment company seeking long-term capital appreciation through investment in equity and equity-linked securities of Swiss companies. Its shares are listed on the NYSE under the symbol "SWZ." The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing generally 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 traded 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.

Closed-end funds, unlike open-end funds, are not continuously offered. Typically, shares of closed-end funds are sold in the open market through a stock exchange. Shares of closed-end funds frequently trade at a discount to net asset value. The price of the Fund's shares is determined by a number of factors, several of which are beyond the control of the Fund. Therefore, the Fund cannot predict whether its shares will trade at, below or above net asset value.

The Fund is managed by Schroder Investment Management North America Inc. and Schroder Investment Management North America Limited.

About Schroder Investment Management North America Inc.

Schroder Investment Management North America Inc. and Schroder Investment Management North America Limited, investment advisors registered with the U.S. SEC, are units of Schroders plc (SDR.L), a global asset management company with approximately $466.9 billion under management as of March 31, 2016. Schroder's clients include major financial institutions including banks and insurance companies, as well as local and public authorities, public and private pension funds, endowments and foundations, intermediaries and advisors, as well as high net worth individuals and retail investors. The firm has built one of the largest networks of offices of any dedicated asset management company with more than 400 portfolio managers and analysts covering the world's investment markets, offering a comprehensive range of products and services.

Schroder Investment Management North America Inc. provides asset management products and services to clients in the U.S. and Canada. Schroder Investment Management North America Inc. is an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Schroders plc, a U.K. public company with shares listed on the London Stock Exchange.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy, nor shall there be any sale of the Fund's shares in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer or solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the laws of such state or jurisdiction.

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SOURCE The Swiss Helvetia Fund, Inc.