The Swiss National Bank (SNB) and Switzerland’s financial regulator reportedly believe that the acquisition of investment bank Credit Suisse by UBS, Switzerland’s largest bank, is the “only option” to prevent a “collapse in confidence” in Credit Suisse.
According to a March 18 Financial Times report citing three people familiar with the situation, Switzerland is preparing to use “emergency measures” to accelerate the takeover by UBS of Credit Suisse, in an effort to finalize the acquisition before “markets open on Monday.”
It was noted that the emergency measures set in place would allow the deal to proceed without a shareholder vote, bypassing the usual Swiss regulations that require a “six-week” consultation period for shareholders “to consult on the acquisition.”
It was stated that the SNB and the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) are working to “reach regulatory agreement” by Saturday night, having reportedly told international counterparts that “they regard a deal” with UBS as the “only option” to prevent a “collapse in confidence” in Credit Suisse.
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This comes after American investment company BlackRock stated in a March 18 tweet it is “not participating in any plans” to acquire Credit Suisse.
BlackRock is not participating in any plans to acquire all or any part of Credit Suisse, and has no interest in doing so.
— BlackRock (@BlackRock) March 18, 2023
Previously, the SNB and FINMA released a joint statement on March 15 stating that Credit Suisse meets the “capital and liquidity requirements” imposed on systemically important banks.
The statement noted, if necessary, the SNB will provide Credit Suisse “with liquidity,” acknowledging that Credit Suisse has been “affected by market reactions in recent days.”