UBS pays bumper rates on deposits to repair Credit Suisse outflows -sources

[ad_1]

Swiss bank UBS news conference in Zurich

Logos of Swiss banks Credit Suisse and UBS are seen before a news conference in Zurich Switzerland, August 30, 2023. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo Acquire Licensing Rights

ZURICH, Oct 4 (Reuters) – UBS (UBSG.S) is trying to attract customers with above-market rates on deposits, according to people familiar with the bank’s activities, as it seeks to boost inflows after taking over stricken peer Credit Suisse.

Clients who deposit their cash at Credit Suisse, now a unit of UBS, earn around 1.8% on upwards of 50,000 Swiss francs ($54,000) held for three months, according to one of the people, who asked to remain anonymous because the matter is private.

At Zuercher Kantonalbank, similar deposits with a mininum investment of 100,000 francs receive interest of 1.34% and at Raiffeisen they earn 1.2%, spokespeople for the two banks said.

“As is common in the market, there may be specifically tailored offers that can also depend on an overall client relationship,” Credit Suisse said in response to a request for comment.

UBS declined to comment on three-month deposit rates. For a one-year lockup, the bank offers a fixed rate of 1.75% as part of an ongoing campaign.

Credit Suisse suffered an exodus of client funds that brought it to the brink of collapse and led to the first ever merger of two globally systemically important banks.

Regaining clients’ money and trust in Switzerland is crucial for UBS, which oversees $5.5 trillion in assets for wealthy clients since taking over its former rival. The bank also needs to try to retain clients that would have had funds in both banks and may now look to spread their risk.

Outflows from Credit Suisse’s wealth management franchise were identified as a key risk for UBS by JPMorgan analyst Kian Abouhossein in a note on Monday.

The analyst said higher deposit rates were potentially being used to limit outflows at Credit Suisse and had been weighing on the bank’s ability to bolster revenue.

Still, Abouhossein said there was potential for UBS to reclaim part of the almost $500 billion in deposits and assets that left Credit Suisse over the last two years.

Credit Suisse reported net asset outflows of 39 billion francs in the second quarter. However, UBS said the outflows had slowed down and reversed in June, with Credit Suisse reporting net deposit inflows of $18 billion in the second quarter.

UBS’s Chief Executive Sergio Ermotti has said he aims to get back the Credit Suisse assets.

“Winning back is winning back and is resetting our starting moment, and then from there on we are going to look at our combined growth aspirations,” Ermotti said at a conference in September.

Reporting by Noele Illien and Stefania Spezzati
Additional reporting by Oliver Hirt
Editing by Elisa Martinuzzi and Mark Potter

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Acquire Licensing Rights, opens new tab

Stefania is an award-winning reporter who covers European banking at Reuters. Based in London, she chronicles all things finance, breaks news and digs deep into the world’s biggest banks. Born in Puglia, Italy, Stefania started working as a financial journalist in Milan for MF-DowJones, a newswire backed by Dow Jones and Milano Finanza. Prior to joining Reuters, Stefania spent about a decade at Bloomberg News, in Milan and London. In 2022, she co-led an investigation which through data journalism exposed how over 130 million pounds in taxpayer-backed loans went to firms with dubious credentials. The story won at the British Journalism Awards in crime and legal affairs journalism.
Contact: +44 7500 684790

[ad_2]

Source link