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☆ Colombia ex-candidate Zuluaga violated law with funds from Odebrecht -AG
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Colombian presidential candidate Oscar Ivan Zuluaga casts his vote during congressional and presidential coalitions elections that will determine which candidates will head to the first round of presidential voting, in Bogota, Colombia March 13, 2022. Courtesy of Oscar Ivan Zuluaga Press... Read moreBOGOTA, June 13 (Reuters) - Former Colombia presidential candidate and minister Oscar Ivan Zuluaga violated the law when he received money from disgraced Brazilian construction firm Odebrecht, the Colombian attorney general's office said on Tuesday. It was not immediately possible to obtain comment from Zuluaga or Odebrecht. In 2014, Zuluaga met on several occasions with the former head of Odebrecht in Colombia, Eleuberto Antonio Martorelli, the prosecutor said. The alleged lies to the council led it to close an investigation into Zuluaga, the statement added.

Persons: Oscar Ivan Zuluaga, Read, general's, Odebrecht, Oscar Ivan Zuluaga Escobar, Zuluaga, Eleuberto Antonio Martorelli, Zuluaga's, David Zuluaga, Cecilia Elvira Alvarez, Julia Symmes Cobb, Nick Zieminski Organizations: Colombian, Oscar Ivan Zuluaga Press, U.S, Electoral Council, Odebrecht, Thomson Locations: Bogota, Colombia, BOGOTA, Colombian, Swiss, Latin America, Odebrecht, Brazilian, Panama, Zuluaga

☆ UBS says it has completed the takeover of stricken rival Credit Suisse
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

UBS expects to complete its takeover of Credit Suisse "as early as June 12", which will create a giant Swiss bank with a balance sheet of $1.6 trillion. Swiss bank UBS on Monday said that it formally completed the takeover of its rival Credit Suisse. Regulators said Friday that they would cover losses of up to 9 billion Swiss francs ($10 billion) after UBS incurs the first 5 billion Swiss francs as part of the transaction, as it absorbs a portfolio that does not entirely "fit its business and risk profile." Following the acquisition, Credit Suisse and its American Depositary Shares will be delisted from the SIX Swiss Exchange and New York Stock Exchange, with shareholders receiving one UBS share for every 22.48 Credit Suisse shares held. The takeover, which follows multiple scandals and years of share price decline at Credit Suisse, controversially wiped out the 16 billion Swiss francs ($17 billion) worth of assets of the bank's AT1 bond holders.

Persons: Colm Kelleher, Sergio Ermotti Organizations: UBS, Credit Suisse, Regulators, American, SIX Swiss Exchange, New York Stock Exchange Locations: Swiss

☆ UBS just reshuffled its leadership ranks after buying Credit Suisse. See the new power players in charge of the $1.7 trillion Swiss banking behemoth.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Michelle Abrego | Kaja Whitehouse | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

The merger between Credit Suisse and UBS creates a new Swiss banking behemoth with $1.7 trillion in assets. Investment bank leadersThe president of UBS's investment bank, Robert Karofsky, circulated a memo on Monday announcing his new leadership team. Ebert, co-head of markets at Credit Suisse, was also named head of Credit Suisse for the Investment Bank, reporting to Karofsky. UBS global wealth management president Iqbal Khan revealed the appointments to its critical wealth business in an internal memo titled "Becoming a global wealth powerhouse." Members of the current Credit Suisse wealth management leadership team will report to both Yves-Alain and to their respective UBS global wealth management regional leader.

Persons: Yves, Alain Sommerhalder, Michael Ebert, Robert Karofsky, Ebert, Karofsky, Marco Valla, Valla, Javier Oficialdegui, Mike, I've, George Athanasopoulos, Jason Barron, Ros L'Esperance, Dan Dowd, Taichi Takahashi, Chris Leone, Julie Beavan, Tricia Hazelwood, Jeff Hinton, Kurt Anthony, Laurence Braham, Richard Hardegree, Richard Casavechia, Ozzie Ramos, Jason Williams, Neil Meyer, Ken Tittle, Iqbal Khan, Francesco De Ferrari, Khan, Reuters Yves, Alain, Wiwi Gutmannsbauer, Benjamin Cavalli, Cavalli, Kinner, Amy Lo, Jin Yee Young, Young, Hatecke, UBS's Anton Simonet, Christl, Jason Chandler, Sergio Ermotti, Ralph Hamers, Ermotti, MICHELE LIMINA, Todd Tuckner, Sarah Youngwood, Michelle Bereaux, Stefan Seiler, Christian Bluhm, Damian Vogel, Ulrich Körner Organizations: UBS, Credit Suisse, Suisse, Credit, Wall Street, Investment, Investment Bank, Barclays, Global Banking, Investment Bank Management, Global Markets, Global Research, IB, Resource Management, Staff, MUFG Securities, Reuters, Yves, Deutsche, Switzerland, Swiss Re, Getty Locations: Switzerland's, Swiss, Americas, Asia, Singapore, Switzerland, Europe, Middle East, Africa, America, AFP

We used a professional device called a sound level meter to record the decibel levels of common sounds and environments. According to the World Health Organization, average road traffic noise above 53 dB or average aircraft noise exposure above about 45 dB are associated with adverse health effects. This chart shows how many people in the United States may be exposed to various outdoor noise levels, on average. Scientists believe that pronounced fluctuations in noise levels like this might compound the effects on the body. Nighttime noise shows similar inequities.

Persons: D’Lo, Jackhammers clack, San Diego —, Reagan, George Jackson, Mendenhall, Carolyn Fletcher, Ron Allen Organizations: Bankers, San Diego, thunders, Massachusetts General Hospital, World Health Organization, Department of Transportation, Queens, High Tech Middle School, San Diego International Airport, dBs, Noise, Environmental Protection Agency, Occupational Safety, Health, European Union Locations: San, Bankers Hill, San Diego, Greenpoint , Brooklyn, Brooklyn, D’Lo, Miss, Mississippi, New York City, California, New Jersey, Massachusetts, United States, U.S, Point Loma, Swiss, Paris, Berlin, Switzerland

☆ Take Five: Skip, stop or go?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

REUTERS/Leah Millis/File PhotoJune 9 (Reuters) - It's a week of the central bank heavies with the U.S. Federal Reserve, European Central Bank and Bank of Japan meeting. The Fed is tipped to stop with rate hikes (for now), the ECB, to keeping going (for now), while the BOJ remains in stop mode (for now). U.S. inflation numbers, Chinese data and a crunch moment for UBS and Credit Suisse means there's plenty happening. 1/ A LOT GOING ONMarkets get not one but two headline events with U.S. May inflation data out on Tuesday as the Fed kicks off its two-day meeting. For now, markets price in just one more increase this year, an outlook investors seem comfortable with, judging by the recent strong performance of U.S. stocks.

Persons: Leah Millis, Li Gu, Kevin Buckland, Ira Iosebashvili, Yoruk, Noele, Kazuo Ueda, Ueda, culls, Dhara Ranasinghe, Rae Wee, John O'Donnell, John Stonestreet Organizations: Federal Reserve, REUTERS, U.S . Federal Reserve, European Central Bank and Bank of Japan, ECB, UBS, Credit Suisse, U.S, Reuters, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Li, Shanghai, Tokyo, New York, Amsterdam, Zurich, China, China's, Swiss, Singapore, Frankfurt

☆ UBS expects to seal Credit Suisse takeover as early as June 12
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( John Revill | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

"UBS expects to complete the acquisition of Credit Suisse as early as 12 June 2023. At that time, Credit Suisse Group AG will be merged into UBS Group AG," it said. UBS shares were indicated 1.1% higher in premarket activity in Switzerland, while Credit Suisse shares were up 0.7%. SIX said in a separate statement Credit Suisse shares would be delisted on June 13 at the earliest. Under the all-share takeover, Credit Suisse shareholders will receive one UBS share for every 22.48 shares they held.

Persons: Zuercher, Michael Klien, Sergio Ermotti, Ermotti, John Revill, Noele, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: Suisse, UBS, Credit Suisse, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, Credit Suisse Group AG, UBS Group AG, Reuters, Swiss, SIX Swiss Exchange, New York Stock Exchange, SIX, Financial Times, Thomson Locations: premarket ZURICH, Swiss, Switzerland, Credit

☆ Countdown to mega merger - how Credit Suisse wobbled and UBS rushed to rescue
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

March 19: An emergency rescue of Credit Suisse, brokered by the Swiss government, central bank and financial regulator, is announced. March 23: Switzerland's financial market regulator FINMA defends its decision to impose steep losses on Credit Suisse bondholders, calling the decision legally watertight. Separately, some holders of Credit Suisse AT1 bonds wiped out by the merger instruct lawyers to represent them for possible litigation to recover losses. April 6 - UBS CEO Ermotti tells Credit Suisse staff to stay focussed on the business, but warns of "change and hard decisions" ahead. April 15 - The Federal Reserve approves UBS's acquisition of the U.S. subsidiaries of Credit Suisse.

Persons: Greensill, FINMA, Sergio Ermotti, Axel Lehmann, Ulrich Koerner, Ermotti, John Revill, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: UBS, Credit Suisse, Suisse, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, Silicon Valley Bank, Swiss National Bank, Saudi National Bank, Credit, Swiss Bank Employees Association, Federal Reserve, Court, Switzerland's Social Democratic Party, Thomson Locations: ZURICH, Silicon, Swiss, Switzerland

☆ 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.

☆ Check out the 13-slide pitch deck Mitiga, a startup using AI to predict climate risks, used to raise $14 million
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Tasmin Lockwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A startup using AI to predict climate risks has just raised 13 million euros (around $14 million). A startup using AI to predict climate risk to protect people and assets has just raised 13 million euros (around $14 million) in a round backed by Microsoft. A bevy of voluntary initiatives exist encouraging businesses to report climate risk, while some businesses in Europe must report physical risks associated with climate change. Existing solutions use historical data to predict risk, Mitiga cofounder and CEO Dr. Alejandro Martí told Insider. Mitiga also presents customers with an overall climate risk score and a breakdown of how risks relate to one another.

The case stems from the estate of Gianni Agnelli, the celebrated Fiat boss who was a symbol of Italy's post-war economic boom and died two decades ago. The second pact covered what would happen to the estate of Margherita's mother Marella, who died only in 2019 aged 91. Italian law prohibits such inheritance pacts. Dicembre is at the heart of a web of companies spanning the vast Agnelli family investments. Giovanni Agnelli BV in turn has a 53% controlling stake in listed Exor, which owns stakes in Stellantis, Ferrari and Juventus.

Climate change drove heat in the city to a record-breaking 48C (118F) in 2016. While traditional insurance can take months to pay, with so-called "parametric" insurance there is no need to prove losses. At annual climate talks in Egypt last year, nonprofits urged richer nations to help finance parametric insurance as a way of compensating victims of worsening weather extremes. At the moment, insurance schemes in the developing world are largely subsidized by nonprofit groups, national governments, or wealthy countries. Insurance payouts allow them to buy things like gloves to protect their hands from scorching hot metal tools, or fans to stay cool and avoid heat exhaustion.

Shareholders of Credit Suisse and UBS were not granted a vote on the deal that was sealed over one weekend in March. Officials for QIA, UBS, the Swiss finance ministry and Credit Suisse declined to comment. QIA's investment in Credit Suisse dates back to the global financial crisis of 2008. The sovereign wealth fund had increased its stake in Credit Suisse to just under 7%, only trailing largest shareholder Saudi National Bank's roughly 10% stake, according to a January filing. Among them, Middle Eastern backers which own more than 20% of Credit Suisse face the largest hit.

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.

☆ Omaha man sails into Florida’s imperfect storm
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Robert Cyran | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

This imperfect storm suits the Berkshire Hathaway (BRKa.N) CEO’s investing style. Underwriters in the state have been feverishly trying to offload risk following last year’s Category 5 hurricane that was Florida’s deadliest in nearly 90 years. The upside is several billion dollars, Jain said, if Mother Nature turns out to be more forgiving. “If the big hurricane happens in Florida, we could lose – across all the units, we could lose as much as $15 billion. And if there isn’t a loss, we’ll make several billion dollars as profit,” Jain said during Berkshire Hathaway’s annual shareholder meeting in Omaha.

☆ Price increases in reinsurance market will continue throughout rest of the year, says Swiss Re CFO
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailPrice increases in reinsurance market will continue throughout rest of the year, says Swiss Re CFOJohn Dacey, group CFO at Swiss Re, discusses first-quarter earnings, the firm's outlook for pricing, and how the company are responding to pressure caused by the ongoing banking crisis.

☆ Swiss Re swings to bigger-than-expected net profit in quarter
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

FRANKFURT, May 4 (Reuters) - Reinsurance company Swiss Re (SRENH.S) said on Thursday that it swung to a net profit in the first quarter that was bigger than analysts had expected and was helped by higher prices and improved investment results. The period marks a recovery from a year earlier, which was damped by losses related to the war in Ukraine, jittery markets and the lingering pandemic. Net profit of $643 million in the period compares with a loss of $248 million a year earlier. Analysts had expected a profit of $606 million, according to a consensus forecast. Reporting by Tom Sims, editing by Kirsti KnolleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

LONDON, May 1 (Reuters) - Inflation in the euro area is too high for comfort, meaning markets expect the European Central Bank to deliver its seventh straight interest rate hike on Thursday. 1/ How much will the ECB hike rates by on Thursday? Most analysts expect at least one more rate move after Thursday, even as the Federal Reserve looks set to pause its rate hike campaign. Market pricing suggests ECB rates will peak around 3.6% this year, and Belgium's central bank governor Pierre Wunsch says he wouldn't be surprised to see rates rise to 4%. Tuesday's bank lending should offer some clues but it might be too early to gauge the full impact of the March banking crisis on financing conditions.

☆ European investigators question Lebanon c.bank chief's assistant in fraud probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIRUT, April 27 (Reuters) - European investigators in Beirut questioned an assistant to Lebanon's central bank governor on Thursday as part of a probe into whether the governor embezzled and laundered hundreds of millions of dollars in public funds, local media and a judicial source said. Marianne Houayek, 42 and a longtime assistant to the governor, was scheduled to be questioned as a suspect, according to a schedule for the European investigators seen by Reuters. A French court document seen by Reuters says up to $5 million euros from the central bank ultimately went to Houayek via accounts in Switzerland and Luxembourg. The European investigators questioned the governor in Beirut in March and returned on Monday for further hearings. The European investigators are also set to question caretaker finance minister Youssef el-Khalil, who still serves as the central bank's head of financial operations, as well as other top officials of the bank.

☆ Swiss Re Chairman Ermotti to step down on April 30
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

ZURICH, April 27 (Reuters) - Swiss Re (SRENH.S) Chairman Sergio Ermotti will step down from his post on April 30, the company said on Thursday, to "fully focus" on his new role as chief executive of UBS (UBSG.S). Jacques de Vaucleroy, Swiss Re Vice Chairman and Lead Independent Director, will lead the search for a successor and will chair the board in the interim, it added. Ermotti, who has been chairman of Swiss Re since 2021, is returning to UBS where he will oversee the massive merger with rival Swiss bank Credit Suisse (CSGN.S). Reporting by John Revill, Editing by Rachel MoreOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ 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.

LONDON, April 24 (Reuters) - Issuing "catastrophe bonds" and setting up public-private partnerships could help plug the "insurance gap" to better cover damage from climate change, a discussion paper from the European Central Bank and European Union insurance regulators said on Monday. Only a quarter of EU climate-related catastrophe losses are insured, creating risks to the economy and financial stability from uninsured households and businesses not being able to recover quickly from extreme events like fire or flood, the paper from the ECB and EU insurance watchdog EIOPA said. Without action, the insurance gap could widen as more frequent and intense events lead to higher premiums, and impact credit supply from banks in high risk areas. Direct aggregate catastrophe losses in the EU totaled 487 billion euros ($535 billion) between 1980 and 2020, and insurer Swiss Re has estimated there were $120 billion of catastrophe losses globally last year. Actions could include incentivising people and businesses to mitigate against climate-related disasters by offering discounts on policies, the paper said.

Low and stable inflation is good for markets and the economy, so central banks had to show their seriousness on inflation, Tannenbaum added. Central banks softened rate rises with communication that was mindful of instability risks, showing reassuring "humility", said Perkins. "The bank resolution framework created after the great financial crisis," said Francesco Papadia, senior fellow at Bruegel and former ECB director general for market operations, "is proving difficult to implement." Reuters Graphics4/ UNITED WE STANDAfter CS's rescue, the Fed and other big central banks supported market liquidity with dollar swap lines. Amundi's Pradhan said the "case by case" central bank responses to individual lenders failing in March exposed the lack of a coordinated bank resolution system.

☆ 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.

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.

☆ 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.

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