Credit Suisse suffered €62bn in outflows during first-quarter crisis

Credit Suisse suffered 61.2 billion Swiss francs (€62 billion) of outflows in the first quarter as clients fled the stricken bank, exposing the scale of the task for UBS after taking over its Swiss rival.

The client exodus was most acute in the days before Swiss regulators orchestrated the rescue by UBS last month, Credit Suisse said on Monday, adding that while outflows have stabilised, they have not reversed.

The revelations of the scale at which customers fled the bank are the first since the takeover deal was struck, underlining the damage inflicted on the business that forced Swiss regulators to step in.

Credit Suisse’s flagship wealth management unit lost 9 per cent of assets in the first quarter, a haemorrhaging that will cut the fees it generates and “likely lead to a substantial loss in wealth management” in the second quarter, Credit Suisse said as it released first-quarter results.

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The €2.95 billion takeover of Credit Suisse is the first time two global systemically important financial institutions have been brought together since crisis of 2008-09 and it carries significant integration risks for UBS.

Both banks could lose customers, especially wealthy ones who have accounts at each institution and now want to diversify, analysts have predicted.

“The magnitude of losses and outflows is alarming,” said Thomas Hallett, an analyst at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, on Monday.

“There is more to come. Simply put, even if UBS is able to take out eight billion Swiss francs of costs by 2027, the revenue trajectory is so damaged that the deal could well remain a drag on UBS operating results unless a deeper restructuring plan is announced.”

Credit Suisse reported an adjusted ChF1.3 billion pretax loss for the quarter. It reported net income of ChF12.4 billion for the quarter, a figure flattered by a ChF15 billion accounting gain stemming from the controversial wipeout of some Credit Suisse bondholders as part of the rescue.

Holders of additional tier one capital notes – a debt instrument that can convert into equity – that have been hit have filed a lawsuit against Switzerland’s banking regulator, Finma, over the decision. It is expected to be the first of several claims over the next few years.

[ Credit Suisse investors sue Swiss regulator over bond wipeout ]

The move has temporarily boosted Credit Suisse’s common equity tier one ratio – an indicator of its financial resilience – from 14.1 per cent to 20.3 per cent.

“In light of the merger announcement, the adverse revenue impact from the previously disclosed exit from noncore businesses and exposures, restructuring charges and funding costs, Credit Suisse would also expect the investment bank and the group to report a substantial loss before taxes in [the second quarter] and 2023,” the bank said.

Credit Suisse also confirmed it had terminated its $175 million (€159 million) acquisition of M Klein & Co, the advisory business run by the bank’s former director Michael Klein. The deal had been structured as part of a plan for Credit Suisse to spin off much of its investment bank under the First Boston brand and be run by Klein.

Separately, UBS said on Monday that Christian Bluhm, its chief risk officer who had announced he was standing down to become a full-time photographer, would instead stay in the role “for the foreseeable future” to help with the integration of Credit Suisse.

UBS reports its first-quarter results on Tuesday morning. – The Financial Times