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☆ Credit Suisse staff prepare to sue Swiss regulator over lost AT1 bonuses-FT
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 22 (Reuters) - Credit Suisse AG (CSGN.S) staff are preparing to sue the Swiss financial regulator over $400 million of bonuses that were canceled after the troubled lender's rescue by UBS Group AG (UBSG.S), the Financial Times reported on Monday. Quinn Emanuel and Pallas, law firms which are already suing Swiss regulator Finma on behalf of investors who owned AT1 bonds, have received multiple requests from senior managers at Credit Suisse to take legal action on their behalf, the report said. Credit Suisse declined to comment, while Law firms Quinn Emanuel, Pallas and Finma did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment. Following this, Switzerland's Federal Council instructed Credit Suisse to cancel or reduce all outstanding bonus payments for the top three levels of management and examine whether those already paid can be recovered. read moreUnder Swiss banking law, the Federal Council can impose bonus-related measures on a systemically important bank if it received state aid from federal funds.

LONDON, May 18 (Reuters) - Credit Suisse (CSGN.S) came close to falling below minimum levels of cash held at the Swiss central bank days before its forced takeover by UBS (UBSG.S), a regulatory document shows. As of mid-March 2023, Credit Suisse barely reached its internal cash limit at the Swiss National Bank. Credit Suisse was forced into a government orchestrated rescue on March 19. FINMA and Credit Suisse declined to comment. FINMA stated in the decree that a viability event occurred and that Credit Suisse could therefore wipe out the instruments.

There are some signs that the broader $275 billion AT1 market is recovering. Reuters GraphicsLast month, Japan's Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (8316.T) was the first major global bank to sell AT1s since the March rout. With time, analysts expect UBS to sell AT1s aplenty to meet its capital requirements. It has a 700 million Singapore dollar ($755 million) AT1 bond repayable in November followed by a heftier $2.5 billion bond in January. RATINGS GAMEInvestor appetite for a UBS AT1 could also hinge on its future credit profile.

☆ Resolving Credit Suisse: an alternative history
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Liam Proud | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Reuters GraphicsThe market shock will be all the more extreme because Credit Suisse doesn’t obviously need more capital. It seems perverse to put taxpayer money on the line while leaving the Credit Suisse bonds untouched. Of the 30 global lenders classed as systemically important by the Financial Stability Board, Credit Suisse is the third-smallest by total assets. It also enables the Swiss National Bank to offer Credit Suisse an open-ended credit line, hopefully ending the bank run. Credit Suisse is suffering from a crisis of confidence brought on by years of mismanagement, rather than a system-wide meltdown.

☆ Swiss regulator says two banks' crisis plans are insufficient
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ZURICH, April 26 (Reuters) - Swiss financial regulator FINMA has labelled the recovery and resolution plans of two of Switzerland's five systematically important banks as insufficient, it said on Wednesday. FINMA questioned the ability of Zuercher Kantonalbank (ZKB)[RIC:RIC:ZKB.UL] and PostFinance [RIC:RIC:PFAG.UL] to continue functioning in case they experienced a crisis. The assessment released by FINMA gauged the emergency plans of Switzerland's main banks as they stood at the end of 2022. It does not therefore take into account Credit Suisse's (CSGN.S) merger with UBS (UBSG.S). "It is clear that there are important lessons to be learned from the Credit Suisse crisis for future crisis preparations," FINMA'S Chief Executive Urban Angehrn said.

☆ Credit Suisse mess leaves scattered Swiss debris
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Lisa Jucca | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

ZURICH, April 24 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Swiss government intervention to save Credit Suisse (CSGN.S) from collapse last month may have avoided a financial market storm. SWISS “TRINITY” QUESTIONThe rescue of Credit Suisse has other consequences. The Swiss Bankers Association has called for an independent inquiry, and lawmakers gave a symbolic thumbs-down to the rescue of Credit Suisse on April 12. A Senate Finance Committee report found last month Credit Suisse had violated a 2014 deferred prosecution agreement with U.S. authorities by continuing to help rich Americans dodge taxes. Switzerland’s parliament on April 12 rejected a Credit Suisse rescue package that included 109 billion Swiss francs in financial guarantees.

☆ Factbox: Lawsuits lodged over state-backed Credit Suisse takeover
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

April 21 (Reuters) - Several lawsuits have been filed over the terms of last month's emergency deal to save Swiss lender Credit Suisse (CSGN.S) by selling it to its bigger rival UBS (UBSG.S). Around 16 billion Swiss francs of Additional Tier 1 (AT1) Credit Suisse debt was written down to zero, in a shock to markets. But it has declined to name claimants or provide an ongoing tally of those lodged by bondholders or their lawyers. UNITED STATESOne of the first proposed U.S. class action s against Credit Suisse over alleged false or misleading statements pre-dates the rescue. Credit Suisse declined to comment.

☆ 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.

☆ Credit Suisse bondholders sue Swiss regulator over $17 bln bond wipeout -FT
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 21 (Reuters) - Credit Suisse Group AG (CSGN.S) bondholders, representing $4.5 billion of the $17 billion of wiped-out Additional Tier 1 bonds of the company, have filed a lawsuit against Switzerland's banking regulator, the Financial Times reported on Friday. The complaint says the regulator, Finma, acted unconstitutionally when it ordered Credit Suisse to cancel the AT1 debt, the FT report said. This move by the Swiss regulator in mid-March angered bondholders who thought they would be better protected than shareholders in a rescue deal with UBS (UBSG.S) earlier in the month. The lawsuit was filed by the law firm Quinn Emanuel in the city of St. Gallen in eastern Switzerland on Wednesday, FT said. The bondholder group holds a "significant" percentage of the total notional value of the bonds, Quinn Emanuel said earlier this month when it was hired by the bondholders group.

☆ Guest view: Why bank investors have it the hardest
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Rupak Ghose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

But what matters at least as much for shareholders is the risk of near or total wipe-out, as demonstrated by Silicon Valley Bank and Credit Suisse. No investor could have known that Credit Suisse allowed Archegos to fund its trades with insufficient cash collateral. More recently, U.S. authorities seemed to flip-flop on whether uninsured depositors at other banks would enjoy the same protection offered to Silicon Valley Bank’s customers. The upshot for bank investors is that seemingly low valuations might not be low enough. Previously, he was head of corporate strategy at UK-based brokers ICAP and NEX, and an equity research analyst at Credit Suisse focused on the financial sector.

☆ SMFG becomes first big Japan bank to sell AT1 bonds since Credit Suisse's debt wipeout
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Junko Fujita | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SMFG priced the bonds in two tranches, in 89 billion yen ($662.50 million) five-year notes, and 51 billion yen 10-year bonds, whose terms market players said were attractive. "In Japan, where spreads over corporate bonds are thin, the terms for these AT1 bonds were reasonably good, provided that the banking sector is credible," said Nana Otsuki, senior fellow at Pictet Japan. Swiss regulator FINMA determined that Credit Suisse's AT1 bonds would be wiped out, a decision that rocked global credit markets. AT1 bonds - known as "contingent convertibles" or "CoCo" bonds - can be converted into equity or written off if a bank's capital level falls below a certain threshold. The 51 billion yen one would yield 2.180% for the first 10 years and two months.

The lower house retrospectively rejected the rescue near midnight, with heated debates continuing into the early hours of Wednesday morning as members discussed other measures related to Credit Suisse. Earlier on Tuesday, Switzerland's upper house had approved the rescue, meaning the two chambers of the legislative body will vote again on Wednesday. A poll of Swiss economists found that nearly half thought the takeover of Credit Suisse by UBS was not the best solution, warning the saga had dented Switzerland's reputation. Politicians also questioned why the Swiss financial regulator was unable to prevent Credit Suisse's failure. There are also growing worries about jobs and in an open letter to parliament, the Swiss Bank Employees' Association said that Credit Suisse and UBS must freeze any cuts.

SummarySummary Companies Swiss upper house approved Credit Suisse rescueFrustration in Switzerland over use of state fundsLawmakers have protested, but cannot overturn dealBERN, April 11 (Reuters) - Switzerland's upper house of parliament voted on Tuesday after a heated debate to approve retrospectively the 109 billion Swiss francs ($120.5 billion) in financial guarantees used to rescue Credit Suisse (CSGN.S) last month. But 29 of Switzerland's 46-member Council of States upper house approved the measure. "The use of emergency law has reached a level in the last three years that is beginning to annoy me," Hansjoerg Knecht, a member of Parliament's upper house, said. Politicians also questioned why the Swiss financial regulator was unable to prevent Credit Suisse's failure. Eva Herzog asked during a speech to the upper house.

☆ Swiss regulator deflects blame for Credit Suisse debacle
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( John O'Donnell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BERN, April 5 (Reuters) - Switzerland's financial regulator deflected blame for the collapse of the country's second-biggest bank, Credit Suisse, saying it had been quick to respond, calling instead for more powers to take lenders to task. Axel Lehman had told shareholders he was 'truly sorry" for taking Swiss bank to the brink of bankruptcy. "Our instruments hit their limits ... as seen in the case of Credit Suisse," said Amstad, making a rare public appeal for more power. But, as we have seen, Credit Suisse paid billions in fines and that didn't change its catastrophic business strategy," said Dominik Gross of the Swiss Alliance of Development Organisations. While the takeover of Credit Suisse has been agreed, many hurdles, such as winning regulatory approval from countries around the world, lie ahead.

☆ 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."

☆ Mitsubishi UFJ to postpone AT1 bond issuance in Credit Suisse fallout
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, April 3 (Reuters) - Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc (8306.T) will postpone the issuance of Additional Tier-1 (AT1) bonds to mid-May or later from late April, a spokesperson said on Monday, after the Swiss decision to wipe out Credit Suisse bonds rattled the market. Mitsubishi UFJ decided on the postponement taking into account investor appetite and market conditions, the spokesperson said. Sources have said Mitsubishi UFJ and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc (8316.T), may put April issuance on hold amid the volatility. As part of the rescue of Credit Suisse (CSGN.S) by its rival UBS (UBSG.S), Swiss regulator FINMA determined that Credit Suisse's AT1 bonds with a notional value of 16 billion francs ($17.35 billion) would be wiped out, a decision that stunned global credit markets and angered many holders. Reporting by Ritsuko Shimizu and Makiko Yamazaki; Editing by Varun H KOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Swiss Prosecutors Probe State-Backed Credit Suisse Takeover by UBS
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( Patricia Kowsmann | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

UBS is paying more than $3 billion for Credit Suisse. Switzerland’s prosecutors are probing the government-orchestrated takeover of Credit Suisse Group AG by rival UBS Group AG. The federal prosecutor has reached out to national and local authorities and “issued investigation orders” to analyze and identify if any criminal offenses took place under the deal, which also involved the government, the financial regulator, Finma, and Switzerland’s central bank, a spokeswoman said in a statement.

☆ EU regulators distance themselves from Credit Suisse bond writedowns
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Silvia Amaro | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Switzerland's second largest bank Credit Suisse is seen here next to a Swiss flag in downtown Geneva. BRUSSELS — European regulators distanced themselves from the Swiss decision to wipe out $17 billion of Credit Suisse 's bonds in the wake of the bank's rescue, saying they would write down shareholders' investments first. Dominique Laboureix, chair of the EU's Single Resolution Board, had a clear message for investors in an exclusive interview with CNBC. The Swiss decision has led some Credit Suisse AT1 bondholders to consider legal action, and it sparked uncertainty for bondholders around the world. The Single Resolution Board became operational in 2015 in the wake of the Global Financial Crisis and sovereign debt crisis.

☆ Andrew Bailey says Bank of England on high alert as investors 'test' banks
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

On Monday, European bank shares rose, boosted by news that First Citizens Bank in the United States would buy most of the assets of Silicon Valley Bank, which collapsed earlier this month. “I think there are moves in markets to, if you like, test out firms,” Bailey told a UK parliamentary committee Tuesday. José Manuel Campa, the head of the European Banking Authority, told Germany’s Handelsblatt Monday that European lenders remained vulnerable. The Swiss heavyweight was rescued by UBS, while SVB UK was bought by HSBC (HBCYF) for £1 after its US parent was shut by regulators. Despite being well-capitalized, SVB UK would not have survived the demise of its US parent, according to Bailey.

☆ European stocks rebound as banking jitters ease
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Sruthi Shankar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

European banks (.SX7P) rose 0.9% after shedding 3.8% on Friday, when Deutsche Bank (DBKGn.DE) sparked a rout in the sector. "Many investors still don't want to touch the banking sector for fears there is more distress to come," said Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell. "Yet for every bleak situation, there is always someone who sees an opportunity to make money, hence why we're seeing a rise in the share price of many European banks today." European stocks are looking to end the first quarter of the year with gains, buoyed by signs of economic resilience and hopes that central banks are near the end of their tightening cycles. However, European banks are set to end the quarter nearly flat amid the banking sector turmoil.

☆ Credit Suisse could face disciplinary action, Swiss regulator says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] The logo of Swiss bank Credit Suisse is seen in front of a branch office in Bern, Switzerland November 29, 2022. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File PhotoZURICH, March 26 (Reuters) - Swiss financial regulator FINMA said it was considering whether to take disciplinary action against Credit Suisse (CSGN.S) managers after Switzerland's second largest bank had to be rescued last week by UBS (UBSG.S). Credit Suisse on Sunday declined to comment on the FINMA President's comments when asked by Reuters for a response. FINMA had conducted six public "enforcement proceedings" against Credit Suisse in recent years, Amstad said. Amstad also defended Switzerland's decision to write down 16 billion Swiss francs of Credit Suisse Additional Tier 1 (AT1) debt, to zero as part of the forced rescue merger.

☆ Bond giants Pimco and Invesco are facing losses of hundreds of millions on rotten Credit Suisse debt
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Bond giants Pimco and Invesco lost hundreds of millions of dollars, according to data from Bloomberg. They held Credit Suisse's AT1 bonds – which were marked down to zero by the Swiss regulator a week ago. FINMA, which is Switzerland's top financial regulator, marked the value of all Credit Suisse AT1s down to zero when UBS's takeover of the struggling bank was confirmed. Pimco had $807 million worth of Credit Suisse CoCos written off when the bank was rescued, according to Bloomberg – while Invesco held around $370 million worth of AT1 debt at the time of the takeover. Here's what you need to know about AT1 bonds.

☆ 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.

The index of top European banks (.SX7P) was down 1% in early trading, with German banking giants Deutsche Bank (DBKGn.DE) and Commerzbank (CBKG.DE) both falling 0.8%. The rescue of Credit Suisse, which followed the collapses of California-based Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) (SIVB.O) and New York-based Signature Bank (SBNY.O) ignited broader concerns about investors' exposure to a fragile banking sector. The decision to prioritise shareholders over Additional Tier 1 (AT1) bondholders rattled the $275 billion AT1 bond market and some Credit Suisse AT1 bondholders are seeking legal advice. "The AT1 instruments issued by Credit Suisse contractually provide that they will be completely written down in a 'viability event', in particular if extraordinary government support is granted," FINMA said. However, some watchers think the banking system is more vulnerable to rumour and rapid moves in an era of widespread social media use, posing a challenge for regulators trying to tamp down instability.

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