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☆ UBS tells investors 'Herculean' Credit Suisse takeover will pay off
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Noele Illien | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/3] Buildings of Swiss banks UBS and Credit Suisse are seen on the Paradeplatz in Zurich, Switzerland, March 20, 2023. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File PhotoBASEL, April 5 (Reuters) - UBS (UBSG.S) executives sought to assure investors on Wednesday that Switzerland's largest bank can make its unexpected takeover of Swiss rival Credit Suisse (CSGN.S) work and pay off for its shareholders. "We believe the transaction is financially attractive for UBS shareholders," he said. Looking at how to navigate the mammoth task of integrating Credit Suisse, the success of which Switzerland depends on, UBS has already taken the first steps. "The acquisition of Credit Suisse will be a major challenge," Hamers said, while echoing the bank's chairman in highlighting new opportunities.

☆ UBS seeks to assure investors shotgun Credit Suisse takeover can pay off
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Noele Illien | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/3] Buildings of Swiss banks UBS and Credit Suisse are seen on the Paradeplatz in Zurich, Switzerland, March 20, 2023. "We believe the transaction is financially attractive for UBS shareholders," he said. The hastily arranged rescue, not only angered and unsettled both banks' shareholders, but also many in Switzerland. Looking at how to navigate the mammoth task of integrating Credit Suisse, the success of which Switzerland depends on, UBS has already taken the first steps. "The acquisition of Credit Suisse will be a major challenge," Hamers said, while echoing the bank's chairman in highlighting new opportunities.

☆ UBS Chairman addresses shareholders on milestone Credit Suisse takeover
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] UBS Chairman Colm Kelleher speaks during the Annual General Meeting, two weeks after buying rival Swiss bank Credit Suisse, in Basel, Switzerland, April 5, 2023. REUTERS/Pierre AlbouyBASEL, April 5 (Reuters) - UBS's (UBSG.S) Chairman told the bank's annual shareholder meeting on Wednesday that the takeover of rival Credit Suisse (CSGN.S) was a significant milestone for Switzerland and for the global financial industry. Kelleher addressed shareholders for the fist time since the announcement of the takeover, urgently engineered and pushed through by the Swiss authorities last month. Outlining UBS's strategy, Kelleher said the Credit Suisse takeover would help the bank to deliver value to the Swiss economy and accelerate its strategic plans to expand its position as the leading wealth manager, particularly through growth in the United States and Asia. Reporting by Noele Illien Editing by Tomasz JanowskiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ UBS faces investors after shotgun Credit Suisse takeover
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Noele Illien | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Last month, Swiss authorities announced that UBS would buy Credit Suisse in a shotgun merger to stem further banking turmoil after the smaller lender had come to the brink of collapse. After a run on deposits, the Swiss government had turned to UBS, which agreed to buy Credit Suisse for 3 billion Swiss francs ($3.3 billion), while the Alpine state put up more than 200 billion francs of support and guarantees. Now, the bank is looking at how to navigate the mammoth task of integrating Credit Suisse, the success of which Switzerland depends on, without undermining its strengths. On Tuesday, Reuters also reported that the Bank of England had approved UBS' takeover of Credit Suisse in Britain, a key market for the Swiss lenders racing to close the rescue deal. UBS also secured a temporary green light from European Union antitrust regulators to complete its acquisition of Credit Suisse, but will still have to request clearance under EU merger rules, the European Commission said.

☆ UBS faces investors after shotgun Credit Suisse merger
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Noele Illien | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ZURICH, April 5 (Reuters) - UBS (UBSG.S) will seek to reassure shareholders on Wednesday that its unexpected takeover of rival Credit Suisse (CSGN.S) in the biggest bank rescue since the great financial crash can work. Last month, Swiss authorities announced that UBS would buy Credit Suisse in a shotgun merger to stem further banking turmoil after the smaller lender had come to the brink of collapse. After a run on deposits, the Swiss government had turned to UBS, which agreed to buy Credit Suisse for 3 billion Swiss francs ($3.3 billion), while the Alpine state put up more than 200 billion francs of support and guarantees. Now, the bank is looking at how to navigate the mammoth task of integrating Credit Suisse, the success of which Switzerland depends on, without undermining its strengths. The bank's annual general meeting comes a day after executives at Credit Suisse faced their own shareholders and Chairman Axel Lehmann apologised for leading the bank to the verge of bankruptcy.

☆ UBS holds first shareholder meeting since controversial Credit Suisse takeover
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Newly appointed UBS CEO Sergio Ermotti (R) speaks with UBS Chairman Colm Kelleher during a press conference in Zurich on March 29, 2023. UBS will hold its annual general meeting on Wednesday morning against a fraught political backdrop, following its takeover of fallen rival Credit Suisse last month. New CEO Sergio Ermotti will take the reins on Wednesday after his shock reappointment last week, as UBS takes on the mammoth task of integrating its fallen compatriot's business. Ermotti's return was seen by many commentators as an attempt to restore calm, as the country's long-established reputation for financial stability teeters on the line. Credit Suisse held the final independent AGM in its 167-year history in Zurich on Tuesday, after Swiss authorities brokered an "emergency rescue" in late March, when the bank's share price tumbled and depositors fled en masse.

☆ Sergio Ermotti returns as UBS CEO to steer Credit Suisse takeover
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( John Revill | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/5] Sergio Ermotti, newly rehired CEO of UBS Group AG attends a news conference in Zurich, Switzerland March 29, 2023. "Sergio has already reduced risk and made the investment bank serve its clients and not its investment bankers as Credit Suisse did. Reuters GraphicsErmotti had earlier described the task of integrating UBS and Credit Suisse as "urgent and challenging". The Dutch executive was a notable absentee from the announcement of UBS's takeover of Credit Suisse on March 19. The next day, Hamers looked bleary eyed as he described the end of Credit Suisse as a "sad day" that nobody wanted.

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Ermotti may need to persuade Switzerland's authorities that UBS should keep "the piece de resistance," Credit Suisse's domestic bank, said Porta's Wittmann. During the financial crash of 2008 it was UBS, not Credit Suisse, that took the lion's share of support from the state. One of Ermotti's biggest challenges may be to prevent Credit Suisse's problems contaminating UBS, which will involve hacking back its investment bank and its unwieldy derivatives. Disentangling Credit Suisse's finances, however, is only a part of the problem. "There are clearly parts of Credit Suisse that have had a bad culture.

☆ Boomerang UBS boss ticks several important boxes
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Liam Proud | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

That’s the best explanation for why Chair Colm Kelleher on Wednesday said the Swiss bank was replacing CEO Ralph Hamers with erstwhile boss Sergio Ermotti. Though the move violates several corporate-governance red lines, it improves the group’s chances of successfully absorbing stricken rival Credit Suisse (CSGN.S). Nor was his hesitant delivery in a call with analysts after announcing the Credit Suisse deal. During his previous spell in charge, UBS held talks with Deutsche Bank (DBKGn.DE) and discussed a merger with Credit Suisse. Ermotti, a Swiss national, led the Swiss bank for nine years, departing in late 2020, and is currently chair of Swiss Re.

☆ 'Call of duty': With Sergio Ermotti, Switzerland gets a cost-cutting local to restore its reputation
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

UBS announced on Wednesday that the former CEO would replace Ralph Hamers from April 5, as the Swiss bank undertakes the mammoth task of integrating fallen rival Credit Suisse into its business. Incoming UBS CEO Sergio Ermotti on Wednesday said his return to the helm was "a call of duty," as the Swiss veteran takes on the task of restoring order to the country's battered financial reputation . Kelleher emphasized that Ermotti's task — the successful integration of Credit Suisse into UBS — was "essential for both banks' clients, people and investors, for Switzerland and for the global financial system in general." Asked by CNBC during Wednesday's press conference about his motivation for returning to UBS, Ermotti said there was "a call of duty aspect" to his decision. "I'm fully aware that we need to work very hard here to avoid any consequence for the taxpayers in Switzerland.

☆ Silicon Valley Bank red flags: Why did almost everyone fail to predict its collapse?
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

A bank run took down Silicon Valley Bank on March 10, as depositors withdrew $42 billion in a single day. To embrace a uniquely Silicon Valley ethos that champions boldness, growth and disruption. Silicon Valley Bank held 55% of its customers' deposits in long-dated bonds whose value eroded as interest rates went up. Silicon Valley Bank held an unusually large proportion (55%) of its customers’ deposits in long-dated Treasuries. And for most of that year, Silicon Valley Bank was operating with a massive vacancy in its corporate leadership team: a chief risk officer.

☆ 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.

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.

☆ 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.

☆ 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.

☆ 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 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.

[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."

☆ 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'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.

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