UBS set to complete Credit Suisse takeover, creating $1.6tn Swiss banking giant

Today, UBS introduced its expectation to finalise the acquisition of Credit Suisse by June 12, forming a colossal Swiss bank with a US$1.6 trillion steadiness sheet. The completion of the takeover is contingent on the registration statement being declared efficient by the US Securities and Exchange Commission and other remaining closing circumstances.
“UBS expects to complete the acquisition of Credit Suisse as early as June 12. At that point, Credit Suisse Group AG will be merged into UBS Group AG,” said UBS.
Fortune ’s main bank agreed on March 19 to pay three billion Swiss francs (US$3.37 billion) and tackle as a lot as 5 billion francs in losses for its smaller Swiss rival. The collapse in buyer confidence introduced Credit Suisse to the sting of collapse, prompting Swiss authorities to intervene to forestall a broader banking crisis.
Upon completion, Credit Suisse shares and American Depositary Shares (ADS) might be delisted from the SIX Swiss Exchange (SIX) and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). SIX introduced in a separate statement that Credit Suisse shares could be delisted on June thirteen on the earliest.
Under the all-share takeover, Credit Suisse shareholders will obtain one UBS share for each 22.48 shares they held.
The most significant financial institution deal since the world monetary crisis will create a bunch overseeing US$5 trillion of belongings, granting UBS an in a single day main place in key markets that might otherwise require years to grow in measurement and attain.
The mega-bank will make use of a hundred and twenty,000 worldwide, though it has already announced job cuts to reap the benefits of synergies and scale back prices.
UBS had been working quickly to close the transaction, aiming to offer greater certainty for Credit Suisse purchasers and employees and stop departures.
The deal was supported by 200 billion francs in liquidity from the Swiss central bank and the government’s dedication to absorb as much as 9 billion francs in losses in addition to those borne by UBS.
“We have to be also clear … this is an acquisition not a merger,” UBS CEO Sergio Ermotti advised a financial conference on Friday, warning of “painful” price and job cuts to come.
A question mark stays over what UBS will do with Credit Suisse’s Swiss retail bank, lengthy seen as the group’s “crown jewel”. Integrating it into UBS and mixing the two banks’ largely overlapping networks could produce significant savings.
However, there has been public pressure to preserve Credit Suisse’s home business as a separate entity with its own brand, identity, and workforce.
Ermotti acknowledged on Friday that the bank was nonetheless analysing the scenario, although the “base scenario” remained a full integration with UBS, and he wouldn’t be swayed by “nostalgia” when deciding how to proceed.
The government, who was brought again to UBS to steer the takeover, dismissed concerns that the new financial institution can be too massive for Switzerland, arguing that although the scale was essential for banks, smaller institutions may also trigger problems.
Overall, Ermotti was optimistic about the challenges ahead, reports Channel News Asia..

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