UBS Nears Deal to Buy Credit Suisse
The Swiss government is close to announcing a deal that would involve UBS buying Credit Suisse, its smaller, beleaguered rival, for about $1 billion, three people with knowledge of the matter said on Sunday.
The takeover of Credit Suisse is the most consequential fallout to date from the turmoil that spread from the implosion of Silicon Valley Bank earlier this month. But Credit Suisse’s troubles were largely of its own making, tied to years of scandals and financial missteps that have cost it billions of dollars in trading losses and legal fines.
Not even a $54 billion lifeline from the Swiss National Bank, announced last week, was able to stem the erosion of investor confidence that sank Credit Suisse’s shares to record lows. Talks between Credit Suisse and the far stronger UBS intensified over the past week, as Swiss banking authorities sought to avoid a chaotic dissolution of Credit Suisse.
Under the terms of the proposed deal, UBS will pay just a fraction of the roughly 8.8 billion Swiss francs, or $9.5 billion, that Credit Suisse was valued at on Friday, these people said. They cautioned that the terms are still being negotiated last minute and talks may still fall apart.
