Watches of Switzerland Group Plc shares rose the most since April after the company’s outlook for the first half of its financial year eased investors’ concerns over the impact of US tariffs.
The stock jumped as much as 11 percent in early trading, and was 7.2 percent higher by 9:46 a.m. in London. Even so, the shares remain near 2020 lows on concerns over soft demand for high-end watches and the 39 percent levy the US slapped on imports from Switzerland.
Trading has been “consistently strong,” particularly in the US, in the fiscal first half — which runs through October — despite the announcement of increased tariffs, the group said Wednesday. The top seller of Rolex watches in the UK also flagged the success of its flagship boutique on Old Bond Street, in London.
“The general mood in Switzerland is that the situation will improve from what it is today,” said Chief Executive Officer Brian Duffy in a Bloomberg TV interview. In the meantime, brands have front-loaded inventory in the US to buy time and cushion the effect of tariffs, he said.
“So there hasn’t really been any impact on conditions or pricing from our brands, we’re trading well. We feel very positive about our half year,” Duffy added.
“This trading statement is reassuring, and should underpin first half 2026 expectations, particularly in the context of softer investor sentiment,” said RBC analyst Piral Dadhania in a note.
The upbeat outlook comes after Swatch Group AG CEO Nick Hayek last week soothed investor nerves over the impact of tariffs on its US business, giving a boost to the rest of the watch industry.
Still, Duffy said there’s uncertainty for the second half of the financial year. Brands are likely to increase pricing internationally, not only in the US as a result of tariffs but also due to the weaker dollar and higher gold prices, he added.
By allegra cats
Learn more:
Beyond Rolex: Luxury Brands Play For Visibility on the Tennis Court
At the US Open, global names like Audemars Piguet and Miu Miu and niche players like Gerald Charles and Norqain are all betting on tennis as a showcase for brand prestige — despite Rolex’s ever-increasing dominance in the sport.
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Meta Title: What is My IP? Your Complete Guide to Finding & Understanding Your IP Address
Meta Description: Discover your public IP address instantly. Our guide explains what an IP is, why it matters for your privacy & security, and how to use this knowledge to your advantage. Simple, accurate, and always available.
What Is My IP Address? Your Gateway to a Safer, Smarter Internet
Every time you go online, you’re assigned a unique digital identifier—an Internet Protocol (IP) address. It’s like your home’s mailing address, but for the internet. Knowing your public IP address is the first step toward understanding your digital footprint, troubleshooting network issues, enhancing your online security, and accessing content from around the world.
While many websites can show you this number, our tool stands out by prioritizing ease of use (a clean, instant result with no clutter), accuracy (directly displaying the information from your connection), and versatility (providing context and resources to help you actually use this information). We don’t just show you a number; we empower you with the knowledge to take control of your online experience.
Key Takeaways: What You Need to Know
- Your public IP address is a unique number assigned by your Internet Service Provider (ISP) that identifies your device on the wider internet.
- Your local IP address identifies devices (like your laptop or phone) on your private home network.
- Knowing your public IP helps with remote access, gaming, troubleshooting, and understanding digital privacy.
- You can change your visible public IP by rebooting your router or using a VPN.
- Your IP reveals your approximate geographic location (usually your city or ISP’s area) but not your precise physical address.
Your Ultimate Guide to IP Addresses
What Is an IP Address, Really? (The Simple Explanation)
An Internet Protocol (IP) address is a unique string of numbers separated by periods (for IPv4) or colons (for IPv6) that identifies a device on a network. Think of it like this: if you want to receive a letter, the postal service needs your street address. Similarly, for a website to send you data (like loading this article), it needs your device’s “internet address”—its IP.
There are two main types you interact with daily:
- Public IP Address: This is the address assigned to your entire home network by your ISP. It’s how the entire internet sees you. Every device in your house shares this one public IP when going online.
- Local IP Address (or private IP): This is assigned by your router to each device inside your network (e.g., 192.168.1.5 for your laptop, 192.168.1.6 for your phone). It allows them to communicate with each other and the router.
Our website tool shows you your public IP address, which is the most important one for your general internet use.
How to Find Your IP Address in Seconds
The easiest way to find your public IP address is to use a dedicated tool like ours. Simply visit our homepage, and your IPv4 and IPv6 addresses (if available) are displayed instantly at the top of the page, no clicking required.
Why use a website tool? While you can find this information buried in your device’s network settings, the process is different for Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS. It involves navigating menus and often confusing terminology. Our tool provides a universal, one-click solution that works on any device with a browser.
For those who are curious, here’s how you might find it manually:
- On Windows: Open Command Prompt and type
ipconfig. Look for the “IPv4 Address” under your active connection (this is your local IP). Your public IP isn’t shown here. - On macOS: Go to System Preferences > Network. Select your connection to see your local IP.
- On a Router: Log into your router’s admin panel (often via 192.168.1.1) and look for “Internet” or “WAN” status. This will show your public IP.
As you can see, the manual method is fragmented. Our tool cuts through the complexity.
IPv4 vs. IPv6: What’s the Difference?
You might see two different addresses on our site. This is because the internet is transitioning between two systems.
- IPv4 (Internet Protocol version 4): The original standard. It looks like four sets of numbers separated by dots (e.g.,
192.168.1.1). The problem? There are only about 4.3 billion possible combinations, and we’ve run out. This shortage led to the need for… - IPv6 (Internet Protocol version 6): The new standard designed to solve the address shortage. It looks like eight groups of letters and numbers separated by colons (e.g.,
2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334). It offers a virtually limitless number of addresses—enough for every grain of sand on Earth to have its own IP!
Most modern networks and devices support both, but IPv4 is still widely used. Our tool shows you both your IPv4 and IPv6 addresses, giving you a complete picture of how you’re connecting to the internet.
Why Your IP Address Matters More Than You Think
It’s not just a random number. Your IP address is crucial for:
- Communication: It enables the fundamental “request and response” nature of the web. You click a link (request), and the website knows where to send the data (response to your IP).
- Troubleshooting: Tech support will often ask for your IP address to diagnose connection speed issues, routing problems, or why you can’t connect to a specific service.
- Online Gaming & Remote Access: To host a game server or connect to your home computer remotely, you need to know your public IP address to direct the connection.
- Content Localization: Websites use your IP’s geolocation data to show you relevant content: local news, weather, and—most notably—region-specific streaming catalogs on services like Netflix.
Privacy, Security, and Your IP Address
This is where things get important. While your IP address alone doesn’t reveal your name or exact home address, it does disclose your approximate geographical location (usually your city or the location of your ISP’s server) and information about your ISP.
This data can be used for:
- Targeted Advertising: Ad networks track your IP to build a profile of your interests and location.
- Content Blocking: Some services restrict access based on geographic region (this is called geo-blocking).
- Potential Tracking: In combination with other data, your IP can be used to track your online activities.
A quick anecdote: A friend of mine once saw ads for a local pizza place he’d never searched for. He was confused until he realized his IP address signaled his location to ad networks, which simply served him ads for businesses near him. It was a harmless but clear example of how his IP was being used.
How to Hide or Change Your IP Address
If you want more privacy or to access geo-restricted content, you can mask your real IP address. Here are two common methods:
- Use a VPN (Virtual Private Network): A VPN is the most powerful and secure tool. It encrypts your internet traffic and routes it through a server in a location of your choice. To any website, it looks like you are browsing from that server’s IP address, not your own.
- Use a Proxy Server: A proxy acts as a middleman for your requests, but it typically doesn’t offer the same level of encryption and security as a VPN.
Using our tool before and after connecting to a VPN is a great way to confirm it’s working correctly. You’ll see your IP address and location change instantly.
Beyond the Public IP: Understanding Local Network IPs
Your home network is a world of its own. Your router uses a system called DHCP to assign a unique local IP address to every device that connects to it—your phone, laptop, smart TV, etc. These addresses allow your devices to talk to each other. You can print to your network printer because your laptop knows its local IP address.
Common local IP ranges you’ll see are:
192.168.0.0–192.168.255.25510.0.0.0–10.255.255.255172.16.0.0–172.31.255.255
Our tool focuses on your public-facing identity, but understanding both types of IPs gives you a complete view of your digital connectivity.
Conclusion: Knowledge Is Power in a Connected World
Your IP address is a fundamental part of your online identity. Understanding what it is, how to find it, and the information it carries empowers you to troubleshoot problems, secure your privacy, and customize your internet experience.
While many sites offer a basic "what is my IP" service, we provide instant, accurate results in a clean, ad-free interface coupled with the educational resources you need to become a more informed user. We believe that providing context is just as important as providing the data itself.
Ready to see your digital address? Visit our homepage now to instantly discover your public IP address. Use this knowledge to check if your VPN is active, troubleshoot your connection, or simply satisfy your curiosity. Take the first step toward becoming the expert of your own network today.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q1: Can someone find my exact physical address using my IP?
No, not your precise, street-level address. Your IP address typically points to the general area of your Internet Service Provider’s local server, usually your city or region. It does not reveal your personal identity or home address without additional information from your ISP, which requires legal subpoenas.
Q2: Why does my IP address sometimes change?
Most ISPs assign dynamic IP addresses that change periodically (e.g., when you reboot your router) because it’s more efficient for them. Less commonly, you can pay for a static IP address that never changes, which is useful for hosting websites or servers from home.
Q3: Is it dangerous for someone to know my IP address?
In most everyday situations, no. Knowing an IP alone is not a major security threat. However, it can be used for targeted attacks like flooding your connection with data (a DDoS attack). For the average user, the bigger concern is privacy tracking. Using a VPN is recommended if you want to prevent this.
Q4: What does it mean if my IP address shows a city hundreds of miles away?
This is common. Your ISP may be routing your traffic through a central hub in a different city or region. It doesn’t mean your connection is compromised; it’s just a result of how your ISP’s network infrastructure is built.
Q5: How can I hide my IP address for free?
Some free VPNs or proxy browsers like Opera VPN can hide your IP, but they often come with significant limitations like slow speeds, data caps, and weaker privacy policies. For reliable security and performance, a paid, reputable VPN service is almost always the better investment.
Q6: What information can a website see from my IP address?
Websites can see your approximate geolocation (country, region, city), your ISP’s name, and sometimes your connection type (e.g., mobile, commercial). They cannot see your personal details like your name or email unless you provide them.
Q7: My tool shows an IPv6 address, but my friend’s doesn’t. Why?
The adoption of IPv6 is an ongoing process. Whether you have an IPv6 address depends on if your Internet Service Provider and your home router have enabled and support it. It’s perfectly normal to have only an IPv4 address, both, or (increasingly) only an IPv6 address.