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☆ UBS in talks to acquire Credit Suisse -FT
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A logo is seen on the headquarters of Swiss bank UBS on Paradeplatz in Zurich, Switzerland March 16, 2023. REUTERS/Denis BalibouseMarch 17 (Reuters) - Banking giant UBS (UBSG.S) is in discussions to take over all or parts of Credit Suisse (CSGN.S), with the boards of Switzerland's two biggest lenders set to meet separately over the weekend, the Financial Times reported on Friday. On Friday evening, Swiss regulators informed their counterparts in the United States and United Kingdom that the merger of the two banks was their "Plan A" to salvage the confidence in Credit Suisse, the report added. Credit Suisse and UBS declined to comment on the report. Bloomberg reported on Thursday that UBS Group AG and Credit Suisse were opposed to a forced merger, with UBS preferring to focus on its own wealth-centric strategy and reluctant to take on risks related to its smaller rival.

☆ UBS is in talks to take over all or part of Credit Suisse, sources tell the Financial Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Darla Mercado | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

UBS is in talks to take over all or part of Credit Suisse, the Financial Times reported, citing multiple people familiar involved in the talks. Earlier this week, the embattled Credit Suisse said it would borrow as much as 50 billion Swiss francs (or nearly $54 billion) from the Swiss National Bank. But even with that move, Credit Suisse shares have continued to fall. Swiss regulators have told U.S. and U.K. regulators that a merger of the two banks was their "plan A," the people told the Financial Times. Credit Suisse shares closed lower by nearly 7%, but are down 24% for the week.

☆ Factbox: FACTBOX Credit Suisse's troubles - spies, money laundering and central bank cash
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Lescaudron was convicted by a Swiss court in 2018 of having forged the signatures of former clients, including Ivanishvili, over an eight-year period. Credit Suisse has said it expects the case, which it is appealing, to cost it around $600 million. The hedge fund's highly leveraged bets on certain technology stocks backfired and the value of its portfolio with Credit Suisse plummeted. Swiss regulators have rebuked Credit Suisse for "serious" failings in its handling of the multi-billion dollar business with Greensill. In response, Credit Suisse said it condemned the spying and had taken "decisive" steps to improve its governance and strengthen compliance.

[1/2] The Credit Suisse logo adorns a sign at the entrance to their campus in Research Triangle Park in Morrisville, North Carolina, U.S., March 15, 2023. In its statement early Thursday, Credit Suisse said it is exercising its option to borrow from the Swiss National Bank up to 50 billion Swiss francs ($54 billion). They said the bank could access liquidity from the central bank if needed. Credit Suisse said it welcomed the statement of support from the Swiss National Bank and FINMA. The U.S. Treasury also said it is monitoring the situation around Credit Suisse and is in touch with global counterparts, a Treasury spokesperson said.

A reversal of low rates to stem rampant inflation has forced a risk rethink and exposed the vulnerability of firms such as Credit Suisse. Meanwhile, Credit Suisse still needs to push ahead with a radical restructuring it undertook in October to restore profitability. [1/2] The Credit Suisse logo adorns one of their buildings at their campus in Research Triangle Park in Morrisville, North Carolina, U.S., March 15, 2023. "Credit Suisse has been in our watch-list for a while," one senior executive told Reuters. The radical move by the Swiss central bank is aimed at banishing such doubts.

☆ 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.

☆ What analysts are saying about Credit Suisse after 'central bank bazooka' is unleashed
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Wall Street analysts were split on whether they should buy into Credit Suisse — though they found central bank support of the troubled Swiss firm reassuring. Earlier, the central bank said it would give Credit Suisse liquidity if necessary, saying the firm is well capitalized. On Wednesday, Credit Suisse shares tumbled 13.9% after the firm's largest investor, the Saudi National Bank, said it could not give more funding, driving fears of a banking crisis in Europe. However, following the decision to borrow from the central bank, JPMorgan's Roberto Henriques reiterated an overweight rating on the firm. The analyst expects that the "central bank bazooka" will assuage investors concerned over liquidity issues and give Credit Suisse enough time to roll out a restructuring plan.

☆ Factbox: Credit Suisse's troubles - spies, money laundering and takeover
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Credit Suisse has said it expects the case, which it is appealing, to cost it around $600 million. The hedge fund's highly leveraged bets on certain technology stocks backfired and the value of its portfolio with Credit Suisse plummeted. Swiss regulators have rebuked Credit Suisse for "serious" failings in its handling of the multi-billion dollar business with Greensill. Switzerland's financial regulator said Credit Suisse had misled it about the scale of the spying. In response, Credit Suisse said it condemned the spying and had taken "decisive" steps to improve its governance and strengthen compliance.

March 15 (Reuters) - Swiss regulators pledged a liquidity lifeline to Credit Suisse (CSGN.S) in an unprecedented move by a central bank after the flagship Swiss lender's shares tumbled as much as 30% on Wednesday. They said the bank could access liquidity from the central bank if needed. Credit Suisse said it welcomed the statement of support from the Swiss National Bank and FINMA. Hoping to quell concerns, FINMA and the Swiss central bank said there were no indications of a direct risk of contagion for Swiss institutions from U.S. banking market turmoil. The logo of Swiss bank Credit Suisse is seen in front of an office building in Zurich, Switzerland October 26, 2022.

March 15 (Reuters) - Swiss regulators said Credit Suisse (CSGN.S) can access liquidity from the central bank if needed, racing to assuage fears around the lender after it led a rout in European bank shares on Wednesday. The U.S. Treasury is monitoring the situation around Credit Suisse and is in touch with global counterparts about it, a Treasury spokesperson said. They slid again as a crisis of confidence gripped Credit Suisse on Wednesday after its largest investor said it could not provide Credit Suisse with more financial assistance because of regulatory constraints. The logo of Swiss bank Credit Suisse is seen in front of an office building in Zurich, Switzerland October 26, 2022. Ralph Hamers, CEO of Credit Suisse rival UBS (UBSG.S) said market turmoil has steered more money its way.

Two supervisory sources told Reuters that the European Central Bank (ECB) had contacted banks on its watch to quiz them about their exposures to Credit Suisse. The Swiss National Bank declined to comment on Switzerland's second-largest bank, after its largest investor said it could not provide Credit Suisse with more financial assistance because of regulatory constraints. Credit Suisse had appealed to the Swiss National Bank and Swiss financial watchdog FINMA for a public show of support, the Financial Times reported. The logo of Swiss bank Credit Suisse is seen in front of an office building in Zurich, Switzerland October 26, 2022. Ralph Hamers, CEO of Credit Suisse rival UBS (UBSG.S) said market turmoil has steered more money its way.

☆ Credit Suisse shares down by a quarter, key backer says no more money
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Noele Illien | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Saudi National Bank (SNB) (1180.SE), which holds 9.88% of Credit Suisse, said it would not buy more shares in the Swiss bank on regulatory grounds. The Swiss bank's shares were down about 24% early afternoon on Wednesday, after hitting a new record low. Koerner had said earlier in the week Credit Suisse's liquidity coverage ratio averaged 150% in the first quarter of this year. The Swiss National Bank declined to comment on Credit Suisse's stock move. Five-year credit default swaps on Credit Suisse debt widened to 574 basis points from 549 bps at last close, based on data from S&P Global Market Intelligence, marking a new record high.

☆ 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.

Credit Suisse said in a statement that it welcomed the news. Credit Suisse shares plunged by as much as 30.8% earlier on Wednesday, leading a 7% drop in the European banking index (.SX7P). The U.S. Treasury said it is monitoring the situation at Credit Suisse and is in touch with global counterparts about it. “People are all examining their books, what open positions we have with Credit Suisse,” the source said. The European Central Bank (ECB) had contacted banks on its watch to quiz them about their exposures to Credit Suisse, two supervisory sources told Reuters.

ZURICH/FRANKFURT, March 15 (Reuters) - Swiss financial regulator FINMA and the nation's central bank said on Wednesday that the Swiss National Bank would provide Credit Suisse (CSGN.S) liquidity "if necessary", a first for a global bank since the financial crisis. The two institutions said in a joint statement that Credit Suisse "meets the capital and liquidity requirements imposed on systemically important banks". Governments and at least one bank were putting pressure on Switzerland to act, said people familiar with the matter. Shares in Credit Suisse, which is battling to recover from a string of scandals that have undermined the confidence of investors and clients, lost nearly a quarter of their value on Wednesday. The stock, which was worth around 80 Swiss francs in 2008 plunged to 1.55 Swiss francs on Wednesday.

☆ Credit Suisse's chairman took a pass on a $1.6 million award and had his pay cut
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Zinya Salfiti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Credit Suisse chairman Axel Lehmann took a pass on a $1.6 million award and saw a pay cut. In its delayed annual report, the Swiss bank said it "identified material weaknesses" in its financial reporting. Lehmann, who started his position last January, waived his chair fee of 1.5 million Swiss francs ($1.6 million) that is typically awarded to board members on top of their salaries, according to Credit Suisse's compensation report. The lender will also cut his salary for 2023-2024 to 3.8 million Swiss francs from an earlier projection of 4.5 million francs, according to the report. "We have identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022 and 2021," the annual report said.

Biden said his administration's actions over the weekend meant "Americans can have confidence that the banking system is safe", while also promising stiffer regulation after the biggest U.S. bank failure since the 2008 financial crisis. Shares in U.S. banking giants JP Morgan Chase (JPM.N), Morgan Stanley (MS.N) and Bank of America (BAC.N) nevertheless weakened. But your second thought is, how big was that crisis, how big were the risks that this step had to be taken?" U.S. regulators stepped in on Sunday after the collapse of SVB, which had seen a run after a big bond portfolio hit. [1/3] U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the banking crisis after the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Signature Bank, in the Roosevelt Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S. March 13, 2023.

Germany's Commerzbank (CBKG.DE) fell as much as 12.7%, while Credit Suisse (CSGN.S) hit a new record low after falling 15%. Biden said his administration's rapid actions at the weekend should reassure Americans that the U.S. banking system is safe, and promised stiffer bank regulation after the country's biggest bank failure since the 2008 financial crisis. "Americans can have confidence that the banking system is safe. But big U.S. banks including JP Morgan Chase (JPM.N), Morgan Stanley (MS.N) and Bank of America (BAC.N) also weakened. In the money markets, a closely watched indicator of credit risk in the U.S. banking system edged up, as did other indicators of credit risk in the euro zone.

☆ Swiss regulator monitoring banks and insurers after SVB collapse
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

ZURICH, March 13 (Reuters) - Swiss financial regulator FINMA on Monday said it was closely monitoring the banks and insurers it oversees after the U.S. moved to guarantee the deposits of two failing lenders in an effort to stem contagion. "FINMA takes note of the media reports on Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank in the USA and is closely monitoring the situation," FINMA said in a statement. "FINMA is evaluating the direct and indirect exposure of the banks and insurance companies it supervises to the institutions concerned," it said. FINMA said it was in contact with various institutions which could be affected, but declined name them or the measures it might take. The Swiss National Bank declined to comment on the effect of the Silicon Valley Bank's collapse could have on Switzerland's financial sector.

[1/3] U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the banking crisis after the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Signature Bank, in the Roosevelt Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S. March 13, 2023. Germany's Commerzbank (CBKG.DE) fell as much as 12.7%, while Credit Suisse (CSGN.S) hit a new record low after falling more than 15%. Dowding said he did not think that a lot of the issues affecting U.S. banks would be present in European lenders. It said Silicon Valley Bank UK had loans of around 5.5 billion pounds and deposits of around 6.7 billion pounds as of March 10. U.S. banks lost more than $100 billion in stock market value late last week following SVB's failure, while European banks have now lost a similar amount, a Reuters calculation showed.

☆ Credit Suisse delays filing its annual report, reviving fears about the Swiss bank's finances
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Credit Suisse has delayed filing its annual report after a call from the US financial watchdog. "Management believes it is prudent to briefly delay the publication of its accounts in order to understand more thoroughly the comments received," Credit Suisse said. Credit Suisse ADRs have plunged 61% over the past year, with a restructuring plan announced on October 27 also failing to reassure markets of the bank's resilience. The SEC's late call isn't Credit Suisse's only regulatory worry. Read more: Credit Suisse is fending off concerns about its financial health, fanning fears of another Lehman Brothers moment that could roil the global financial system.

☆ Swiss watchdog finds Credit Suisse 'seriously breached' obligations in Greensill affair
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BERLIN, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Credit Suisse (CSGN.S) "seriously breached its supervisory obligations" in connection with its business relationship with financier Lex Greensill and his companies, Swiss financial watchdog FINMA concluded on Tuesday. It its review, FINMA said that Credit Suisse "seriously breached its supervisory obligations in this context with regard to risk management and appropriate organisational structures." Credit Suisse Chief Executive Ulrich Koerner said he welcomes the "conclusion of FINMA's work." So far 74% of the fund's $10 billion net asset value at the time of its suspension has been collected. Reporting by Kirsti Knolle and Noele Illien, Editing by Louise Heavens Editing by Paul Carrel and Louise HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Credit Suisse Breached Law in Greensill Lapses, Regulator Says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Margot Patrick | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Credit Suisse said it had made a raft of improvements following its own review of its dealings with Greensill. Credit Suisse Group AG failed in its duties as an asset manager and violated Swiss supervisory law in its operation of $10 billion in investment funds with now-bankrupt financing partner Greensill Capital Management. Switzerland’s financial regulator, Finma, outlined a range of measures the bank must take to improve governance and comply with Swiss rules. It said it opened enforcement proceedings against four former Credit Suisse managers.

☆ Credit Suisse 'seriously breached' obligations in Greensill case, Swiss regulator says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The logo of Credit Suisse Group in Davos, Switzerland, on Monday, Jan. 16, 2023.Credit Suisse "seriously breached its supervisory obligations" in the context of its business relationship with financier Lex Greensill and his companies, Swiss regulator FINMA concluded Tuesday. Credit Suisse CEO Ulrich Körner welcomed the conclusion of the FINMA investigation in a statement Tuesday. In March 2021, Credit Suisse closed four supply chain finance funds at short notice related to Greensill companies. FINMA announced Tuesday that it has ordered remedial measures and opened four enforcement proceedings against former Credit Suisse managers. Credit Suisse noted that all of the requirements identified by the regulator "are being addressed through the organizational measures already underway."

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