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☆ 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.

"I think that any time you have a bank failure like this, bank management clearly failed, supervisors failed and our regulatory system failed," Michael Barr, Fed Vice Chair for Supervision, told Congress. REPORTS DUE MAY 1Both the Fed and FDIC are is expected to produce reports on the failure of Silicon Valley Bank by May 1. Barr told the House Financial Services Committee that he first became aware of stress at Silicon Valley Bank on the afternoon of March 9, but that the bank reported to supervisors that morning that deposits were stable. Gruenberg of the FDIC told lawmakers he also became aware of SVB's stress that Thursday evening. "(Fed) staff were working with Silicon Valley Bank basically all afternoon and evening and through the morning the next day to pledge as much collateral as humanly possible to the discount (window) on Friday," Barr said.

☆ UBS names Sergio Ermotti as new CEO and president
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

March 29 (Reuters) - UBS Group AG (UBSG.S) named Sergio Ermotti as its next chief executive officer and president on Wednesday, the bank said in a statement. Ermotti, the current chairman of Swiss Re (SRENH.S), is returning to the bank where he was CEO from 2011 to 2020 after its takeover of Credit Suisse (CSGN.S). He will replace current UBS CEO Ralph Hamers from April 5, UBS said. Reporting by Akriti Sharma in Bengaluru; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Christian SchmollingerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ CNBC Daily Open: SVB deposits and loans find a buyer
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Yeo Boon Ping | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. By all appearances, First Citizens Bank is a willing buyer of SVB — unlike UBS' forced marriage with Credit Suisse, orchestrated by Swiss regulators. Deutsche Bank is not another Credit Suisse in two key aspects. Deutsche Bank reported a 1.8-billion-euro ($1.98 billion) net profit, giving it an annual net income for 2022 of 5 billion euros. By contrast, Credit Suisse had a fourth-quarter loss of 1.4 billion Swiss francs ($1.51 billion), bringing it to a full-year loss of 7.3 billion Swiss francs.

☆ Australia would not allow AT1 debt security holder wipe-out -minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SYDNEY, March 28 (Reuters) - Australian law would not allow regulators to wipe out AT1 tier credit holders while shareholders received some compensation as occurred during the Swiss government-brokered takeover of Credit Suisse by UBS, the assistant treasurer said on Tuesday. It's an entirely different set of circumstances here in Australia," Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones told the Australian Financial Review Banking Summit in Sydney. Swiss regulators wrote down 16 billion Swiss francs ($17.5 billion) of Credit Suisse (CSGN.S) bonds, known as Additional Tier 1 or AT1 debt, to zero as part of a forced rescue merger with UBS (UBSG.S). Under the deal, holders of Credit Suisse AT1 bonds received nothing, while shareholders, who usually rank below bondholders in terms of who gets paid when a bank or company collapses, will receive $3.23 billion. AT1 bonds - a $275 billion sector also known as "contingent convertibles" or "CoCo" bonds - act as shock absorbers if a bank's capital levels fall below a certain threshold.

☆ Saudi National Bank chair resigns after Credit Suisse comments
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Ammar Al Khudairy had resigned “due to personal reasons” and would be replaced by CEO Saeed Mohammad Al Ghamdi, Saudi National Bank said in a statement Monday. During an interview with Bloomberg TV on March 15, Al Khudairy ruled out increasing the bank’s stake in Credit Suisse. That was in response to a question on whether Saudi National Bank was open to further equity injections into Credit Suisse if there was a call for additional funds. Saudi National Bank, which is 37%-owned by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, acquired a 9.9% stake in Credit Suisse in October for $1.5 billion, making it an anchor investor in the bank’s turnaround plan. Had the bank increased its shareholding in Credit Suisse beyond the 9.9% level, it would have been subjected to additional regulatory obligations.

☆ 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.

☆ What Are AT1 Bonds, and Why Are They Risky?
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( Alana Pipe | Nate Rattner | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Swiss regulators announced on March 19 a wipeout of more than $17 billion of Credit Suisse Group AG’s additional Tier 1 bonds, or AT1s, shocking investors as shareholders were paid out before some bondholders. AT1 bonds deliver higher yields than many comparable assets, which makes them attractive to investors willing to take the risk. AT1 bonds are popular among European banks as a way to build up safety buffers. Following the 2008 financial crisis, many countries in Europe signed on to a regulatory framework called Basel III, under which they passed laws requiring large banks to maintain a financial cushion for protection during a downturn.

☆ Factbox: The biggest financial crises of the last four decades
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Fears of banking contagion remain, and investors are worried that global economies will suffer if the effects of higher interest rates torpedo more lenders. Michael Milken had helped popularize the financial instrument, with many using it as a way of funding leveraged buyouts. The country ended up getting external financial support from the International Monetary Fund and a $50 billion bailout from the United States. GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS OF 2008The biggest financial crisis since the Great Depression was rooted in risky loans to shaky borrowers, which started to lose value after central banks raised interest rates in the period leading up to the crisis. EUROPEAN DEBT CRISISSpurred by the 2008 financial crisis, surging debt at some of the major European economies led to a loss of confidence in the region's businesses.

☆ 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 global banking sector has been rocked since the sudden collapse this month of two U.S. regional banks sparked fears of contagion to other lenders. Separate sources told Reuters that UBS has promised retention packages to Credit Suisse wealth management staff in Asia to stem a talent exodus. Credit Suisse and UBS declined to comment, while the Justice Department did not immediately respond to Reuters' emailed requests for comment. The takeover of Credit Suisse has also ignited broader concerns about investors' exposure to a fragile banking sector. Standard Chartered (STAN.L) Chief Executive Bill Winters said on Friday the wipeout had "profound" implications for global bank regulations.

☆ 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.

☆ Morning Bid: Bank angst persists, unnerves Europe
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

But banks boosted borrowing under the Fed's newly launched Bank Term Funding Program to $53.7 billion - almost 5 times its first outing the previous week. European bank stocks fell 3% early on Friday, with Deutsche Bank shares (DBKGn.DE) down for a third day - losing 5% amid rising market costs for insuring against the risk of default. European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde is due to attend Friday's European Union summit in Brussels and update leaders on the state of affairs in the financial system. Wider markets were lower in Asia and Europe and U.S. stock futures were in the red again ahead of the open. With less than a 50% chance of another Fed rate rise in this cycle now priced into the futures, almost 80 basis points of rate cuts are now seen by year-end.

A supervisory source told Reuters that redeeming AT1 bonds is a good way to instil confidence in markets if banks have enough capital, which the source said is the case for UniCredit. AT1 bonds are the riskiest type of debt banks can issue, ranking immediately after equity in the event of losses. The decision has disrupted the $275 billion AT1 bond market, which had already seen yields rise in the wake of recent U.S. banking failures. European rules require lenders to put in a request to supervisors to call an AT1 bond at least three months before the due date. AT1 bonds emerged in the wake of the global financial crisis as a way to build up bank capital and absorb losses.

SummarySummary Companies European banks, bonds, CDS sell offDeutsche Bank CDS rise to highest since late 2018Confidence hurt, outlook dimsLONDON, March 24 (Reuters) - Confidence in European banks deteriorated further on Friday, with the cost of insuring against a debt default rising sharply as the profit outlook for the sector dimmed. Deutsche Bank's (DBKGn.DE) five-year credit default swaps (CDS) jumped 19 basis points (bps) from Thursday's close to 222 bps, rising to their highest since late 2018, data from S&P Global Market Intelligence showed. The prospect that interest rates may be close to peaking, as financial markets are signalling, would also curb banks' profit margins on lending. BOND WATCHEuropean banks' Additional Tier 1 (AT1) debt came under fresh selling pressure, with Deutsche AT1 prices down 6 cents, according to Tradeweb data. The selloff in AT1s highlighted concerns about rising funding costs for European banks and helped explain why the sector was facing renewed pressure on Friday, analysts said.

☆ European banks default-risk indicator jumps, AT1 bonds fall
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Deutsche Bank's (DBKGn.DE) five-year credit default swaps (CDS) jumped 19 basis points (bps) from Thursday's close to 222 bps, data from S&P Global Market Intelligence showed. UBS's (UBSG.S) five-year CDS also shot up 14 bps from Thursday's close to 130 bps, the data showed. European banks' Additional Tier 1 (AT1) debt also came under fresh selling pressure, with Deutsche and UBS AT1s down around four and two cents in price, respectively, according to Tradeweb data. Although European regulators and authorities in Asia have said this week they would continue to impose losses on shareholders before bondholders - unlike the treatment of bondholders at Credit Suisse - unease lingers. Reporting by Chiara Elisei and Amanda Cooper; Writing by Dhara Ranasinghe; Editing by Susan FentonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ JPMorgan defends Deutsche Bank stock, says market getting it wrong
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

JPMorgan isn't concerned about Deutsche Bank , and investors should focus on the European bank's "solid" fundamentals, analysts from the firm said Friday. Shares of the German lender slid more than 11% on Friday following a spike in the company's credit default swaps Thursday night. Credit default swaps act as a insurance for bondholders in the event of the company defaults. To be sure, there was no clear catalyst for the spike in Deutsche's credit default swaps. DB 1D mountain DB falls JPMorgan, however, is maintaining its overweight rating on Deutsche Bank.

The fresh price falls in Europe came as investors were looking to see how far U.S. authorities would go to shore up the banking sector, particularly fragile regional lenders. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo 1 2CDS surge on banking sector turmoilUBS CHALLENGESThe global banking sector has been shaking since the sudden collapse this month of SVB and Signature Bank. But the worries spread quickly, and on Sunday UBS (UBSG.S) was rushed into taking over Swiss rival Credit Suisse after it lost the confidence of investors. Separate sources told Reuters that UBS has promised retention packages to Credit Suisse wealth management staff in Asia to stem a talent exodus. Standard Chartered (STAN.L) Chief Executive Bill Winters said on Friday the wipeout of Credit Suisse bondholders had "profound" implications for global bank regulations.

☆ StanChart CEO says AT1 bond wipeout has profound impact
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Selena Li | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HONG KONG, March 24 (Reuters) - Standard Chartered (STAN.L) Chief Executive Bill Winters said on Friday Credit Suisse AG's (CSGN.S) $17 billion Additional Tier 1 bonds wipeout had "profound" implications for global bank regulations. Winters told a financial forum in Hong Kong the U.S. Federal Reserve move to guarantee non-insured deposits was a "moral hazard". "I think it had very profound implications for the regulation of banks, and for the way that banks manage themselves," Winters said. The bank had 147% LCR before the bank failures and this was "substantially higher now", Winters said, without disclosing the current level. Reporting by Selena Li in Hong Kong; additional reporting by Scott Murdoch in Sydney; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and Stephen CoatesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Exclusive: N. American fixed income group won't take legal action over Credit Suisse AT1 fiasco-source
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Divya Rajagopal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TORONTO, March 23 (Reuters) - The Credit Roundtable, a lobby group of some of the biggest fixed income asset managers from the United States and Canada, has decided not to take legal action against Credit Suisse AG (CSGN.S) a person familiar with the matter told Reuters on Thursday. Earlier this week, the Swiss regulator ordered 16 billion Swiss francs ($17.5 billion) of Additional Tier-1 (AT1) debt to be wiped out under its rescue takeover by UBS (UBSG.S). The Credit Roundtable was not available for an immediate comment. Launched in 2007 for bondholders protection, Credit Roundtable consists of 43 members including PIMCO, Vanguard, MetLife (MET.N), Canadian pension fund Omers, Sun Life Financial Inc (SLF.TO) among others. The bond holders of Credit Suisse in Europe and UK have been seeking legal advice over the Swiss banking regulator's decision to write off AT1 bonds under the rescue take over by UBS.

☆ Did UBS Just Get the Deal of the Decade?
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Stephen Wilmot | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Did UBS get the deal of the decade with Credit Suisse , or a decade of headaches? The investor debate is just getting started, but the answer to both questions might be yes. UBS certainly got a good price. Then there is the controversial write-off of Credit Suisse’s $17 billion in AT1 bonds. The lawsuits will come, but the decision was taken by the Swiss regulator rather than UBS, so the bank shouldn’t have to bear any costs.

☆ Swiss regulator defends its decision to write off AT1 bonds
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ZURICH, March 23 (Reuters) - Switzerland's financial market regulator FINMA defended its decision to impose steep losses on Credit Suisse (CSGN.S) bond holders on Thursday, saying the decision was legally watertight. On Sunday, Switzerland announced a multi-billion franc rescue of Credit Suisse, which will see it taken over by UBS. As part of that deal the Swiss regulator ordered 16 billion Swiss francs ($17.49 billion) of its Additional Tier 1 debt to be written down to zero, while shareholders received some compensation. "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. "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," it added.

☆ Credit Suisse hires Southeast Asia wealth vice chairman
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Sydney, March 23 (Reuters) - Credit Suisse (CSGN.S) said on Thursday it has hired private banker Kwong Kin Mun as its new vice chairman for Southeast Asia wealth management. Swiss regulators said it was necessary authorities took action as there was a risk Credit Suisse could have become "illiquid, even if it remained solvent" after a tumultuous period in which the share price tanked and deposits fell sharply. In a statement from the investment bank, Kwong said "the sparks from the merger of two global leaders in wealth management will create enormous potential for clients and private bankers." The UBS takeover is likely to result in major job cuts at Credit Suisse and the Swiss Bank Employees Association said on Monday staff reductions should be kept to a minimum. ($1 = 0.9169 Swiss francs)Reporting by Scott Murdoch in Sydney; Editing by Jacqueline WongOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ 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.

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