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☆ 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.

☆ Credit Suisse rescue creates bank twice the size of Switzerland's economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

London CNN —The last-minute rescue of Credit Suisse may have prevented the current banking crisis from exploding, but it’s a raw deal for Switzerland. An aerial view of the headquarters of Credit Suisse, center, and UBS, left, at Paradeplatz in Zurich, Switzerland on Sunday, 19 March, 2023. Credit Suisse is “part of Switzerland’s identity,” said Hans Gersbach, a professor of macroeconomics at ETH university in Zurich. “The Credit Suisse Swiss bank is a fine asset that we are very determined to keep,” Kelleher said Sunday. Integration is difficultAt $3.25 billion, UBS got Credit Suisse for 60% less than the bank was worth when markets closed two days prior.

But combining Credit Suisse into UBS could take much longer, potentially months, because the deal needs approval from regulators in tens of countries, the people said, seeking anonymity given the sensitivity of the matter. Spokespeople for UBS and Credit Suisse declined to comment. The longer the deal takes to close, the harder it will be for Credit Suisse to hold on to its business as the uncertainty erodes confidence in the lender. Bank of America's electronic stocks desk had halted trading with a desk at Credit Suisse that uses computer-led strategies, an email seen by Reuters on Monday said. Bloomberg News reported on Thursday that Wall Street banks and European firms are lifting hiring freezes to lure staff from Credit Suisse.

☆ Recruiters worldwide are inundated with calls from anxious Credit Suisse bankers seeking new jobs amid the UBS takeover, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Kate Duffy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Credit Suisse staff have swamped recruiters across the globe amid the UBS deal, per Bloomberg. It said one recruiting firm had 30 calls on Monday, while another spoke to 20 bankers since last week. The day after Credit Suisse and UBS announced the acquisition deal, a recruiting firm in Singapore received around 30 inquiries from mostly Credit Suisse private bankers, the people told Bloomberg. A headhunter based in London told Bloomberg that Credit Suisse staff flooded him with calls over the weekend. They added that Credit Suisse will "do everything we can to ensure an orderly transition and to serve our clients as best as possible."

☆ UBS to take over Credit Suisse, assume up to 5 billion Swiss francs in losses
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

BERN, March 19 (Reuters) - UBS (UBSG.S) agreed to buy rival Swiss bank Credit Suisse (CSGN.S) for 3 billion Swiss francs ($3.23 billion) in stock and agreed to assume up to 5 billion francs ($5.4 billion) in losses, in a shotgun merger engineered by Swiss authorities to avoid more market-shaking turmoil in global banking. The deal includes 100 billion Swiss francs ($108 billion) in liquidity assistance for UBS and Credit Suisse from the Swiss central bank. In that eventuality, UBS would assume the first 5 billion francs, the federal government the next 9 billion francs, and UBS would assume any further losses, the government said. Credit Suisse Additional Tier 1 shares with a nominal value of around 16 billion francs ($17.2 billion) will be written down completely after the Swiss government provided support for UBS' takeover of Credit Suisse, FINMA said. Reuters Graphics Reuters GraphicsThe Swiss government said that it was also giving UBS a guarantee of 9 billion Swiss francs "assume potential losses" from assets as part of the transaction.

It will change the landscape of banking in Switzerland, where branches of Credit Suisse and UBS are dotted everywhere, sometimes just metres apart. The Credit Suisse rescue, orchestrated with public money, shows banks' continued vulnerability and how their problems can quickly rebound on their home country. But it also removes a competitor to Wall Street, with UBS planning to pare back much of Credit Suisse’s investment bank. During the great financial crash, it was UBS and not Credit Suisse that needed state support. UBS earned $7.6 billion in profit in 2022, while Credit Suisse lost $7.9 billion.

The European Central Bank vowed to support euro zone banks with loans if needed, adding the Swiss rescue of Credit Suisse was "instrumental" in restoring calm. There are also concerns about what happens next at Credit Suisse and what that means for investors and employees. The Swiss central bank said Sunday's deal includes 100 billion Swiss francs ($108 billion) in liquidity assistance for UBS and Credit Suisse. Credit Suisse shares had lost a quarter of their value last week. The bank was forced to tap $54 billion in central bank funding as it tries to recover from scandals that have undermined confidence.

One recruiter told Insider they'd seen an influx of resumès of a similar scale to the 2008 financial crisis. Executives looked 'very downbeat' at an all-company meetingHeadquartered in Zurich, Credit Suisse has a large presence in Europe. A European-based headhunter told Insider they'd "heard there were some tears" from Credit Suisse veterans about the prospect of the bank's takeover. As Credit Suisse's outflows accelerated over recent months, it appears its employees have hunted for other postings. One industry headhunter in the UK said their desk has piled up with job applications from Credit Suisse workers for around a month.

[1/2] CEO Ralph Hamers of Swiss bank UBS addresses the Annual Meeting of Swiss Financial Institute (SFI) in Zurich, Switzerland November 10, 2022. Hamers, with no big-ticket M&A experience under his belt, has cut his teeth reshaping a major Dutch lender mostly by selling businesses. Reuters Graphics Reuters GraphicsA nearly 30-year veteran of Dutch lender ING - he married a former colleague from the bank - Hamers was a surprise choice when he was appointed in early 2020 to lead UBS. UBS declined to comment on the matter on Monday but the bank said at the time that it had "full confidence" in Hamers. Former Unilever CEO and fellow Dutchman Paul Polman gave a Hamers a vote of confidence on Monday, telling Reuters that "Hamers is a purposeful leader certainly well prepared to lead Swiss banking through these challenging times."

☆ Credit Suisse's investment bankers are so concerned about cuts, employees are being told to look for new jobs. 'They encouraged it.'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Carter Johnson | Casey Sullivan | Dakin Campbell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

The fate of Credit Suisse's investment bank hangs in the balance after being sold to UBS. The investment bank's planned spinoff has been put on hold and bankers are bracing for job cuts. People said they expect Credit Suisse's planned spinoff of its investment banking operations, announced last year, to be scuttled. Over at 11 Madison Ave., where Credit Suisse's NY operations are headquartered, emotions were running hot on Monday. Now, the proposed CS First Boston deal hangs in the balance, with both industry experts and Credit Suisse employees uncertain whether it will go through.

The logos of Swiss banks Credit Suisse and UBS on March 16, 2023 in Zurich, Switzerland. Credit Suisse shares collapsed by 60% at around 9:05 a.m. London time (5:05 a.m. Swiss authorities and regulators helped to facilitate the deal, announced Sunday, as Credit Suisse teetered on the brink. The size of Credit Suisse was a concern for the banking system, as was its global footprint given its multiple international subsidiaries. "This suggests that a substantial part of Credit Suisse's $570bn assets may be either impaired or perceived as being at risk of becoming impaired.

☆ 'Shotgun wedding': What the UBS rescue of Credit Suisse means for global markets
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Axel Lehmann, chairman of Credit Suisse Group AG, left, and Colm Kelleher, chairman of UBS Group AG, during a news conference in Bern, Switzerland, on Sunday, March 19, 2023. "The accelerating loss of confidence and the escalation over the last few days have made it clear that Credit Suisse can no longer exist in its current form," Lehmann said. In equal parts "shotgun wedding" and arranged marriage, UBS agreed to buy stricken domestic rival Credit Suisse for 3 billion Swiss francs ($3.25 billion) on Sunday. The government will offer a loss guarantee of up to 9 billion Swiss francs, with UBS assuming the first 5 billion of potential losses. Shares of both UBS and Credit Suisse plunged on Monday morning, however.

☆ The stock market is going to be trading flat as long as risk-free assets offer much more yield
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Max Adams | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Meanwhile, markets are still reeling from the SVB fiasco, but there's a simpler reason why the stock market is going to be trading flat for the foreseeable future. Banking turmoil aside, the stock market doesn't have much momentum as long as investors are getting much higher yields on risk-free assets. Even before Silicon Valley Bank crashed, investors were feeling the pain of a volatile stock market. What's your prediction for the stock market through the first half of this year? Zurich-listed shares of Credit Suisse are down more than 58% early Monday.

☆ 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.

☆ Credit Suisse bump trade looks over-optimistic
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK, March 20 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Investors in Credit Suisse’s bombed-out stock are getting a little ahead of themselves. At that level, they’re 7% above the implied value of UBS’s offer, and a wider 13% using the lenders’ U.S.-listed shares, which trade until later in the day. That deal, like UBS’s rescue of Credit Suisse, was also a government-arranged attempt to prop up an ailing bank. Unlike Credit Suisse, Bear Stearns’ shareholders got a vote, giving them leverage to argue for a higher price. Credit Suisse shareholders have little left but hope.

The ECB vowed to support euro zone banks with loans if needed, adding the Swiss rescue of Credit Suisse was "instrumental" for restoring calm. [1/6] Chairman of the Board of Directors of UBS, Colm Kelleher and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Credit Suisse, Axel Lehmann attend a news conference on Credit Suisse after UBS takeover offer, in Bern, Switzerland, March 19, 2023. The Swiss central bank said Sunday's deal includes 100 billion Swiss francs ($108 billion) in liquidity assistance for UBS and Credit Suisse. Credit Suisse shareholders will receive 1 UBS share for every 22.48 Credit Suisse shares held, equivalent to 0.76 Swiss francs per share for a total consideration of 3 billion francs, UBS said. Under the deal with UBS, some Credit Suisse bondholders are major losers.

☆ Top UBS executives defend their 'emergency rescue' of Credit Suisse. Here's what comes next.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( Rebecca Ungarino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

UBS sought to reassure investors that the Credit Suisse deal wouldn't disrupt long-term strategy. UBS agreed to acquire Credit Suisse on Sunday in a deal arranged by the Swiss government. Credit Suisse has faced crisis after crisis in recent years, from Archegos to a spying scandal. "These events could alter the course of not only European banking but also the wealth management industry more generally," Georgiou said. "It's an outcome that we may not have hoped for," Hamers said of the Credit Suisse deal.

☆ UBS chairman wants to keep Credit Suisse's Swiss unit
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

ZURICH, March 19 (Reuters) - UBS (UBSG.S) Chairman Colm Kelleher said the bank wants to keep Credit Suisse's Swiss unit, speaking at a news conference announcing the merger between Switzerland's two biggest banks on Sunday. "It is a fine asset that we are very determined to keep and hopefully service their customers and clients as efficiently as Credit Suisse has done," Kelleher said. The Chairman of Switzerland's biggest bank said it "will be running down the investment banking part of Credit Suisse, because UBS itself has an investment bank-like model." "We need to do this in a rational way [and] thoughtfully, when we've sat down and analysed what we need to do." Reporting by Noele Illien Editing by Paul CarrelOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ UBS to take over Credit Suisse, assume up to 5 bln Swiss francs in losses
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The deal includes 100 billion Swiss francs ($108 billion) in liquidity assistance for UBS and Credit Suisse from the Swiss central bank. In that eventuality, UBS would assume the first 5 billion francs, the federal government the next 9 billion francs, and UBS would assume any further losses, the government said. Credit Suisse Additional Tier 1 shares with a nominal value of around 16 billion francs ($17.2 billion) will be written down completely after the Swiss government provided support for UBS' takeover of Credit Suisse, FINMA said. Authorities had been scrambling to rescue Credit Suisse, among the world's largest wealth managers, before financial markets reopened on Monday. Reuters Graphics Reuters GraphicsThe Swiss government said that it was also giving UBS a guarantee of 9 billion Swiss francs "assume potential losses" from assets as part of the transaction.

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.

☆ UBS's Credit Suisse deal was the best solution says Swiss gov't
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Keller-Sutter, who said she held a Credit Suisse bank account, said the worst case had been avoided. This is a commercial solution because UBS is taking over Credit Suisse," she told a press conference in Bern. "The bankruptcy of Credit Suisse would have had a huge collateral damage - on the Swiss financial market also internationally," she said. He said it was far too early to discuss job cuts at Credit Suisse, but he was very positive about Credit Suisse's Swiss business. His upbeat tone contrasted with Credit Suisse Chairman Axel Lehmann, who was emotional when he spoke about the demise of 167-year-old Credit Suisse as an independent bank.

☆ UBS salvages most value from Credit Suisse wreck
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( Liam Proud | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Meanwhile the government will cover up to 9 billion Swiss francs of losses, such as markdowns on Credit Suisse assets, past a certain threshold. A UBS takeover is preferable to the Swiss government nationalising Credit Suisse or winding it down. Follow @liamwardproud on TwitterCONTEXT NEWSUBS will rescue Credit Suisse in a deal worth about 3 billion Swiss francs, Swiss authorities and the two banks said on March 19. Shareholders in Credit Suisse will get one new UBS share for every 22.48 shares they currently hold. Based on UBS’s closing price on March 17 the offer values Credit Suisse shares at 0.76 Swiss francs each, well below the last closing price of 1.86 Swiss francs.

☆ Oscar success puts 'endangered' Irish language centre stage
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( Padraic Halpin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

DUBLIN, March 12 (Reuters) - Thousands of miles from the glitz of Sunday's Oscars, the first Irish language film to earn a nomination is sparking renewed interest in a native tongue spoken by so few it is considered endangered by the United Nations cultural agency. Competing for best international feature, "An Cailín Ciúin" (The Quiet Girl) last year became the first Irish language film to gross more than 1 million euros ($1.06 million) at the UK and Irish box office. Director Colm Bairéad says the success feels like it is boosting a language he grew up feeling self-conscious about because of its rarity. Mac Conghai's production company, which creates everything from Irish language children's programmes to dating shows, has more than doubled its number of staff in the past decade. "I think it's a way of seeing the language isn't just something academic or something historical in a museum.

☆ U.S. businesses in China are more pessimistic about prospects -survey
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Casey Hall | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SHANGHAI, March 1 (Reuters) - U.S. businesses operating in China are increasingly pessimistic about their prospects in the world's second-largest economy, according to a survey released Wednesday by the American Chamber of Commerce in China. For the first time in the 25-year history of AmCham China's business sentiment survey, a majority of responding companies said China is no longer seen as a "top three investment priority". Most said they were revising China investment plans to invest the same or less overall in the country, though the vast majority also reported no plans to relocate their operations out of China completely. Rising U.S.-China tensions remain the top business challenge, cited by 66% of respondents, while 65% of members said they were "unsure or uncertain" that China will further open to foreign investment. Almost half of the American businesses surveyed said they feel less welcome in China than they did a year ago.

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