An indication above the doorway to the Credit score Suisse Group AG headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, on Monday, Nov. 1, 2021.
Thi My Lien Nguyen | Bloomberg | Getty Photographs
LONDON — Credit Suisse on Thursday introduced that it swung to a loss in 2021, after a tumultuous 12 months led to a big improve in litigation provisions.
The Swiss lender posted a full-year internet lack of 1.57 billion Swiss francs ($1.7 billion), effectively under expectations of a 377.95 million Swiss franc loss, in line with Refinitiv. The financial institution reported a fourth quarter internet loss attributable to shareholders of two.01 billion Swiss francs. Analysts had anticipated a revenue of 25.73 million Swiss francs.
The financial institution stated it took “main litigation provisions” of 1.1 billion Swiss francs in 2021.
Credit score Suisse has been embroiled in a sequence of high-profile scandals lately, most lately when its chairman Antonio Horta-Osorio resigned final month after repeatedly violating Covid-19 quarantine guidelines.
Horta-Osorio had are available in with the intention of cleansing up the financial institution’s company tradition after its funding banking division suffered appreciable hits in 2021 resulting from its involvement with collapsed investment firm Archegos Capital and bancrupt supply chain finance company Greensill.
Within the financial institution’s earnings report, CEO Thomas Gottstein acknowledged that 2021 was a “very difficult 12 months” for Credit score Suisse.
“Our reported monetary outcomes have been negatively impacted by the Archegos matter, the impairment of goodwill regarding the Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette (DLJ) acquisition in 2000 and litigation provisions, as we glance to proactively resolve legacy points,” Gottstein stated.
Over the past three quarters of the 12 months, Gottstein stated the financial institution was run with a “constrained threat urge for food throughout all divisions,” because it tried to strengthen threat and controls processes and continued remediation effort, together with returning money to traders following the availability chain finance funds difficulty.
“Our clear focus stays on the disciplined execution of our new Group technique as introduced in November 2021: strengthening our core and simplifying our group as we glance to take a position for development in key strategic enterprise areas,” Gottstein added.
Gottstein took the helm in early 2020 after former CEO Tidjane Thiam resigned following a weird and protracted spying scandal that rocked Switzerland’s second-largest financial institution to its foundations.
Different highlights from Thursday’s earnings:
- CET 1 (frequent fairness tier one capital) ratio, a measure of financial institution solvency, reached 14.4% from 12.9% a 12 months in the past.
- Fourth-quarter internet revenues stood at 4.58 billion Swiss francs, from 5.22 billion Swiss francs a 12 months earlier.
- Whole working bills have been 6.18 billion Swiss francs, versus 5.17 billion a 12 months in the past.
Talking to CNBC on Thursday, Gottstein stated 2022 will probably be a transitional 12 months for the financial institution because it navigates its restructure, technological modifications, exit of its prime brokerage enterprise, and uncertainty round inflation, central financial institution coverage, Covid-19 and geopolitical tensions.
“These will all be steps that we see the profit coming by means of over time, however not within the quick time period, so ’22 is a transition 12 months for the agency,” he stated.
Requested about how the financial institution can assuage shareholder considerations concerning the string of scandals lately, Gottstein stated implementing the brand new technique was central.
“We wish to function the financial institution as a stronger financial institution, now we have a stronger capital base, now we have 14.4% CET1 ratio and 6.2% tier one leverage ratio, one of many strongest in the entire peer group,” he stated.
“So we’re very effectively positioned now when it comes to steadiness sheet, however we now must implement the technique, and that is actually what [the shareholders] wish to hear.”
Wealth administration woes
Together with its lowered threat urge for food, Credit score Suisse additionally stated {that a} return to a “extra regular buying and selling surroundings” after the distinctive circumstances of the Covid pandemic had impacted internet revenues, which have been down 12% year-on-year within the fourth quarter.
“This was most evident within the Funding Financial institution, largely resulting from our exit of Prime Companies and the robust comparable efficiency in 4Q20, however our Wealth Administration-related companies additionally noticed a discount in transaction-based revenues,” it stated.
Credit score Suisse’s wealth management-related companies posted an 8% decline in internet revenues year-on-year resulting from decrease transaction and performance-based revenues, which fell 25%. The financial institution attributed this largely to lowered revenues at its international buying and selling options division, decrease shopper exercise and decrease internet curiosity revenue, which fell 5% yearly.
The financial institution’s shares are down greater than 27% over the previous 12 months.
— It is a breaking information story and will probably be up to date shortly
