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☆ 'Lose-lose situation': New Swiss bank laws could derail UBS' challenge to Wall Street giants
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Sergio Ermotti, CEO of Swiss banking giant UBS, during the group's annual shareholders meeting in Zurich on May 2, 2013. Fabrice Coffrini | Afp | Getty ImagesSwitzerland's tough new banking regulations create a "lose-lose situation" for UBS and may limit its potential to challenge Wall Street giants, according to Beat Wittmann, partner at Zurich-based Porta Advisors. The government-backed takeover was the biggest merger of two systemically important banks since the Global Financial Crisis. At $1.7 trillion, the UBS balance sheet is now double the country's annual GDP, prompting enhanced scrutiny of the protections surrounding the Swiss banking sector and the broader economy in the wake of the Credit Suisse collapse. The Wednesday report floated giving additional powers to the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority, applying capital surcharges and fortifying the financial position of subsidiaries — but stopped short of recommending a "blanket increase" in capital requirements.

Persons: Sergio Ermotti, Fabrice Coffrini, Beat Wittmann, Wittmann, Wittman, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley — Organizations: UBS, Afp, Getty, Wall, Porta Advisors, Swiss, Credit Suisse, Suisse, Swiss Financial Market, Authority, JPMorgan, Citigroup Locations: Zurich, Switzerland

The logo of Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA is seen outside their headquarters in Bern, Switzerland April 5, 2016. We want reform so that we don't end up in the same mess again as we had with Credit Suisse." Earlier this year, Switzerland's financial regulator deflected blame for the collapse of the country's second-biggest bank saying it had been quick to respond, calling instead for more powers to take lenders to task. The regulator, however, has enjoyed little support among Swiss politicians, many of whom long sought to keep it weak. In the run up to the collapse of Credit Suisse, FINMA saw a string of key departures.

Persons: Ruben Sprich, Eva Herzog, Herzog, FINMA, Noele Illien, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Swiss Financial Market, Authority, REUTERS, UBS Group, Credit Suisse, Swiss, UBS, International Monetary Fund, Thomson Locations: Bern, Switzerland, Europe, Swiss

☆ Swiss financial watchdog to lose more staff
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The logo of Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA is seen outside their headquarters in Bern, Switzerland April 5, 2016. Preisig, who said she wants to take on a new role outside of FINMA, has headed the Strategic Services division since 2020. FINMA, the Swiss government and the Swiss National Bank have come under fire for their perceived late intervention following the collapse of Credit Suisse and its subsequent rescue by larger rival UBS (UBSG.S) in March. The regulator's secretary general, the head of international affairs and the head of communications have also recently resigned. Reporting by Oliver Hirt, Writing by Noele Illien; Editing by Sharon SingletonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ruben Sprich, Johanna Preisig, Urban, Preisig, Angehrn, Oliver Hirt, Noele Illien, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Swiss Financial Market, Authority, REUTERS, UBS Group, Strategic Services, FINMA, Swiss National Bank, Credit Suisse, UBS, Thomson Locations: Bern, Switzerland, FINMA, Swiss

☆ Swiss takeover board rules NewGAMe's partial offer for GAM shares complies with rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 31 (Reuters) - Switzerland's takeover board has ruled that a partial offer for up to 28 million shares of GAM Holding (GAMH.S) by an investor group comprising NewGAMe SA and Bruellan SA is in line with Swiss takeover rules, NewGAMe said on Thursday. The arrangement would be also that the investor group would propose new GAM board members at the upcoming extraordinary general meeting (EGM), where the fund manager's current board is expected to stand down. The regulator on Thursday also challenged the validity of the condition making NewGAME's offer conditional to Rock's candidates being elected to GAM's board, NewGAMe said. Last week, a takeover offer from Liontrust won the backing of just 33.64% of GAM's shareholders. ($1 = 0.8830 Swiss francs)Reporting by Kanjyik Ghosh in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju SamuelOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Arnd, NewGAMe, Xavier Niel's NewGAMe, Liontrust, Kanjyik Ghosh, Maju Samuel Organizations: REUTERS, GAM, NewGAMe SA, Bruellan SA, Swiss, Rock Investment, Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority, Thomson Locations: Zurich, Switzerland, Bengaluru

☆ Swiss, Italian financial authorities sign cooperation agreement
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The logo of Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA is seen outside their headquarters in Bern, Switzerland April 5, 2016. REUTERS/Ruben Sprich/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsZURICH, Aug 16 (Reuters) - Switzerland's financial market supervisory authority FINMA on Wednesday said it had signed a cooperation agreement with Italian supervisory authority CONSOB and Italian national bank, Banca d'Italia, to intensify their cooperation. "Thanks to this agreement, the authorities involved can carry out their supervisory activities even more effectively across borders. This increases legal certainty for supervised institutions operating in Italy and Switzerland," FINMA head Urban Angehrn said in a statement. The agreement would help financial groups gain clearer legal certainty concerning their access to the Italian market, FINMA said.

Persons: Ruben Sprich, Urban Angehrn, FINMA, Brenna Hughes, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: Swiss Financial Market, Authority, REUTERS, Rights, Banca d'Italia, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: Bern, Switzerland, Italy

☆ UBS faces big penalty over Credit Suisse's Archegos failings -FT
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

UBS has asked the U.S. Federal Reserve, the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority and UK's Prudential Regulation Authority to publish their findings and announce any penalties jointly at the end of July, FT reported. The Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority does not have the power to fine financial institutions, president Marlene Amstad said in May. The New York-based firm's demise caused billions of dollars in losses for Credit Suisse. UBS completed its emergency takeover of embattled rival Credit Suisse last week, forging a Swiss banking and wealth management giant with a $1.6 trillion balance sheet. It set aside $4 billion for potential lawsuits on the Credit Suisse deal in May, according to a presentation.

Persons: Marlene Amstad, Archegos, Chandni Shah, Lisa Shumaker, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: UBS Group AG, Archegos, Swiss, Financial, UBS, U.S . Federal Reserve, Swiss Financial Market, Authority, Prudential, U.S . Federal, Suisse, Credit Suisse, U.S, Fed, Thomson Locations: U.S, New York, Bengaluru

☆ Credit Suisse bondholders sue Swiss authorities
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Investors representing more than 4.5 billion Swiss francs ($5 billion) of Credit Suisse bonds have sued the Swiss financial regulator over its decision to wipe out their investments during last month’s emergency government-orchestrated takeover. Law firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, which is representing the bondholders, said Friday the move was the first in a series of steps to seek redress for clients it said had been unlawfully deprived of their property rights during the takeover of Credit Suisse (CS) by bigger rival UBS (UBS). The appeal against FINMA, the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority, which ordered the writedown, was filed on April 18 in the Federal Administrative Court in St Gallen, north-east Switzerland. “FINMA’s decision undermines international confidence in the legal certainty and reliability of the Swiss financial center,” said Thomas Werlen, Quinn Emanuel’s Swiss managing partner. The Federal Administrative Court said it was still receiving complaints but declined to name claimants or comment on how many had been lodged by bondholders or their lawyers.

It is the first major lawsuit in the public domain to be filed over the Swiss decision to wipe out around $18 billion of Credit Suisse's Additional Tier 1 (AT1) debt during the 3 billion Swiss franc all-share rescue deal last month, which stunned markets and alerted litigators. The appeal against FINMA, the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority that ordered the writedown, was filed on April 18 in the Federal Administrative Court in St Gallen, north east Switzerland. "FINMA's decision undermines international confidence in the legal certainty and reliability of the Swiss financial center," said Thomas Werlen, Quinn Emanuel's Swiss managing partner. FINMA declined to comment and Credit Suisse did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. ($1 = 0.8941 Swiss francs)Reporting by Jahnavi Nidumolu in Bengaluru; Editing by Savio D'SouzaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Switzerland faced a full-scale bank run if Credit Suisse went bankrupt, Swiss regulator argues
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

It would have erased the holding company Credit Suisse Group, along with the parent bank Credit Suisse AG and its branches, while retaining the Credit Suisse (Schewiz) AG entity because of its "systemic importance." "The parent bank Credit Suisse AG would have gone under – a Swiss bank with total assets of over CHF 350 billion and ongoing business also running into many billions," Angehrn warned. Many other Swiss banks would probably have faced a run on deposits, as Credit Suisse itself did in the fourth quarter of 2022." Angehrn said the regulator has been in recent dialogue with the U.S., but did not experience international pressure in its supervision of Credit Suisse. The authorities would have risked not stopping a looming financial crisis by using the tool of resolution, but rather triggering such a financial crisis."

☆ The Swiss claim the U.S. banking crisis ultimately toppled Credit Suisse. But are they right?
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Pascal Mora | Bloomberg | Getty Imageswatch nowHowever, the downward spiral of Credit Suisse's share price and mounting asset outflows were underway long before the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank earlier this month. Swiss regulator FINMA has come under fire for allowing the situation to deteriorate as the bank spent years mired in losses and scandal. Mark Yallop, chairman of the U.K.'s Financial Markets Standards Board and former U.K. CEO at UBS, told CNBC on Tuesday that he agreed with the broad assessment that Credit Suisse's downfall was "idiosyncratic." "It's unfortunate that the problems with some of the smaller U.S. banks in the last two or three weeks happened at the same time as this issue with Credit Suisse but the two are completely different and very largely unrelated," he said. By contrast, the Swiss banking and regulatory system has come under fire.

☆ Swiss regulator says central bank loan to Credit Suisse justified AT1 bond writedown
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Swiss regulator FINMA on Thursday defended its decision to instruct Credit Suisse to write down its AT1 bonds — a controversial part of the lender's emergency sale to UBS — saying it was a "viability event." The regulator said the loan Credit Suisse received from the Swiss National Bank last week, backed by the federal government, meant the conditions for a writedown had been met. The regulator instructed Credit Suisse to write down 16 billion Swiss francs of AT1 bonds, widely regarded as relatively risky investments, to zero, while equity shareholders will receive payouts at the stock's takeover value. "As Credit Suisse received extraordinary liquidity assistance loans secured by a federal default guarantee on 19 March 2023, these contractual conditions were met for the AT1 instruments issued by the bank." The Swiss federal government enacted an emergency ordinance to guarantee the additional liquidity assistance from the SNB to Credit Suisse, in order to ensure the successful implementation of the UBS takeover.

☆ What are AT1 bonds and why are Credit Suisse’s now worthless?
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

But it is the owners of Credit Suisse’s $17 billion worth of “additional tier one” (AT1) bonds who have been left fully in the cold. David Benamou, chief investment officer at Axiom Alternative Investments, a French wealth management firm with exposure to AT1 bonds, called the decision “quite surprising, not to say … shocking.”What are AT1 bonds? AT1 bonds are also known as “contingent convertibles,” or “CoCos”. It is not the write-down of Credit Suisse’s AT1 bonds that has rocked investors, but the fact that the bank’s shareholders will receive some compensation when bondholders will not. But because Credit Suisse’s demise has not followed a traditional bankruptcy, analysts told CNN, the same rules don’t apply.

☆ Treasury yields decline as investors weigh UBS’ takeover of Credit Suisse
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Sophie Kiderlin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

ET, the yield on the 10-year Treasury was down by over six basis points to 3.3319%. U.S. Treasury yields fell on Monday as investors considered the stability of the banking sector after Swiss bank UBS agreed to buy its rival Credit Suisse. Over the weekend, the Swiss National Bank, the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority and the Swiss government worked on the takeover of Credit Suisse by UBS, the two largest Swiss banks. As part of the deal, the Swiss National Bank and Swiss government also announced they would take measures to support the deal, including a loan of up to 100 billion Swiss francs ($108 billion). Last week, Credit Suisse's biggest investor, the Saudi National Bank, said it could no longer support the Swiss bank financially.

☆ UBS' dramatic takeover of Credit Suisse was the deal neither bank wanted. Here's some of the passive-aggressive digs from both sides.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Matt Turner | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

UBS acquired Credit Suisse in a rescue takeover over the weekend. But Credit Suisse didn't want to be rescued, and UBS didn't want to have to be the rescuer. For example, the first official word of the deal came from the Swiss National Bank, which announced: "UBS today announced the takeover of Credit Suisse." Next, Credit Suisse announced: "Credit Suisse and UBS to Merge." In 2019, after UBS announced Khan's hire, the chief operating officer at Credit Suisse ordered a colleague to spy on him.

☆ UBS is buying Credit Suisse in bid to halt banking crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( Mark Thompson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

“UBS today announced the takeover of Credit Suisse,” the Swiss National Bank said in a statement. Credit Suisse shareholders will be largely wiped out, receiving just 1 UBS share for 22.5 Credit Suisse shares they own. UBS (UBS) and Credit Suisse rank among the 30 most important banks in the global financial system, and together they have almost $1.7 trillion in assets. “Given recent extraordinary and unprecedented circumstances, the announced merger represents the best available outcome,” Credit Suisse chairman Axel Lehmann said in a statement. The Swiss National Bank said it would provide a loan of 100 billion Swiss francs ($108 billion) to UBS and Credit Suisse to boost liquidity.

The terms of the deal will see Credit Suisse shareholders receive 1 UBS share for every 22.48 Credit Suisse shares they hold. "This acquisition is attractive for UBS shareholders but, let us be clear, as far as Credit Suisse is concerned, this is an emergency rescue. The Swiss National Bank pledged a loan of up to 100 billion Swiss francs ($108 billion) to support the takeover. UBS initially offered to buy Credit Suisse for around $1 billion Sunday, according to multiple media reports. It reported a full-year net loss of 7.3 billion Swiss francs for 2022 and expects a further "substantial" loss in 2023.

☆ Credit Suisse shares soar over 20% on Swiss National Bank loan announcement
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A branch of Swiss banking giant Credit Suisse behind a window under the rain, in Basel. (Photo by FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP) (Photo by FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images)Credit Suisse shares soared over 30% at Thursday's market open after the bank said it will borrow up to 50 billion Swiss francs ($54 billion) from the Swiss National Bank. The Swiss National Bank and the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority said in a statement Wednesday that Credit Suisse "meets the capital and liquidity requirements imposed on systemically important banks." "These measures demonstrate decisive action to strengthen Credit Suisse as we continue our strategic transformation to deliver value to our clients and other stakeholders," Credit Suisse CEO Ulrich Koerner said in the release Wednesday. "We thank the [Swiss National Bank] and FINMA as we execute our strategic transformation.

☆ 'The weakest links are cracking': Investors consider possible Credit Suisse contagion
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

"But I would very strongly recommend sticking to high-quality companies — that means strong management, strong balance sheets, strong value proposition. Even before the shock collapse of two U.S. banks last week, Credit Suisse has been beset with problems in recent years, including money laundering charges and spying allegations. Credit Suisse management said Wednesday, however, that its latest step to secure a sizable funding deal showed "decisive action" to strengthen the business. Analysts at UBS, meanwhile, said market participants were "grappling with three interrelated but different issues: bank solvency, bank liquidity, and bank profitability." "In short, we think bank solvency fears are overdone, and most banks retain strong liquidity positions," they added.

☆ Swiss National Bank says it will provide Credit Suisse with liquidity if necessary
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Jesse Pound | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The logo of Swiss bank Credit Suisse is seen at a branch office in Zurich, Switzerland, November 3, 2021. The Swiss National Bank said Wednesday that Credit Suisse is currently well capitalized and that the central bank will provide additional liquidity if necessary, as regulators on both sides of the Atlantic tried to calm fears of a spreading crisis. The statement comes after the Swiss-listed shares of Credit Suisse fell more than 20% on Wednesday. Additionally, the Saudi National Bank — which is Credit Suisse's biggest financial backer — said it could not provide additional capital to the company because of a regulatory issue. The American depositary receipts of Credit Suisse pared their losses after the announcement from regulators to about 14% for the session.

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves after hours: Credit Suisse, Adobe, UiPath and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Hakyung Kim | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Credit Suisse — Credit Suisse shares rallied almost 7% after a statement from the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority and the Swiss National Bank said that the bank is currently well capitalized. Shares tumbled 13.9% during Wednesday's trading session after Credit Suisse's largest investor, Saudi National Bank, said that it could not provide the Swiss bank with any further financial assistance. The company reported adjusted earnings of $3.80 per share and revenue of $4.66 billion. Five Below reported revenue that topped Wall Street's expectations, according to Refinitiv, and earnings were in-line with estimates. PagerDuty — The digital operations management platform's stock gained 3% after reporting an earnings and revenue beat for the fourth quarter.

☆ Switzerland's central bank says it will provide liquidity to Credit Suisse if deemed necessary for the embattled lender
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Carla Mozée | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Credit Suisse will receive liquidity if needed, a Swiss regulator and the country's central bank said late Wednesday. Credit Suisse "meets the capital and liquidity requirements imposed on systemically important banks," the authorities said. Credit Suisse shares crashed on Wednesday after its largest shareholder said no more financial backing will be granted. Credit Suisse meets the country's "strict" capital and liquidity requirements imposed on systemically important banks, the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority, or FINMA, and the Swiss National Bank said in a joint statement. Credit Suisse in its annual report had identified "material weaknesses" in its financial reporting.

☆ Swiss regulator investigates 12 banks in Lebanese central banker corruption case
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ZURICH, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Switzerland's financial regulator has investigated 12 banks and launched enforcement proceedings against two of them in relation to corruption charges against longtime central banker Riad Salameh, it said on Monday. Lebanese authorities charged Salameh, his brother Raja and one of his assistants on Thursday with money laundering, embezzlement and illicit enrichment after months of delay in the high-profile case. The Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) on Monday said it has investigated 12 banks in relation to allegations of money laundering linked to the case. FINMA declined to comment on the nature of the enforcement proceedings in this case, or the banks involved. The Salameh brothers are alleged to have transferred $330 million to Swiss accounts via the offshore company Forry Associates, which is registered in the British Virgin Islands, Swiss newspaper SonntagsZeitung newspaper reported.

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