Credit Suisse Borrows CHF 50bn from Swiss National Bank

Credit Suisse is taking decisive action to pre-emptively strengthen its liquidity by intending to exercise its option to borrow from the Swiss National Bank (SNB) up to CHF 50 billion ($54bn) under a Covered Loan Facility as well as a short-term liquidity facility, which are fully collateralized by high quality assets. Credit Suisse also announces offers by Credit Suisse International to repurchase certain OpCo senior debt securities for cash of up to approximately CHF 3 billion.

Credit Suisse announces its intention to access the SNB’s Covered Loan Facility as well as a short-term liquidity facility of up to approximately CHF 50 billion in aggregate. This additional liquidity would support Credit Suisse’s core businesses and clients as Credit Suisse takes the necessary steps to create a simpler and more focused bank built around client needs.

Credit Suisse also announces t that it is making a cash tender offer in relation to ten US dollar denominated senior debt securities for an aggregate consideration of up to USD 2.5 billion. Concurrently, Credit Suisse is also announcing a separate cash tender offer in relation to four Euro denominated senior debt securities for an aggregate consideration of up to EUR 500 million. Both offers are subject to various conditions as set out in the respective tender offer memoranda. The offers will expire on March 22, 2023, subject to the terms and conditions set out in the offer documents. The transactions are consistent with our proactive approach to managing our overall liability composition and optimizing interest expense and allow us to take advantage of current trading levels to repurchase debt at attractive prices.

CEO Ulrich Koerner said: “These measures demonstrate decisive action to strengthen Credit Suisse as we continue our strategic transformation to deliver value to our clients and other stakeholders. We thank the SNB and FINMA as we execute our strategic transformation. My team and I are resolved to move forward rapidly to deliver a simpler and more focused bank built around client needs.”

As a global systemically important bank, Credit Suisse, like its global peers, is subject to high standards for capital, funding, liquidity and leverage requirements. As of the end of 2022, Credit Suisse had a CET1 ratio of 14.1% and an average liquidity coverage ratio¹ (LCR) of 144%, which has since improved to approximately 150% (as of March 14, 2023). The use of the Covered Loan Facility of CHF 39 billion will further strengthen the LCR with immediate effect. Credit Suisse is conservatively positioned against interest rate risks. The volume of duration fixed income securities is not material compared to the overall HQLA (high quality liquid assets) portfolio and, in addition, is fully hedged for moves in interest rates. Moreover, the loan book is highly collateralized at almost 90%, with more than 60% in Switzerland and an average provision for credit loss ratio of 8 bps across Wealth Management and the Swiss Bank².

Following the Group’s strategy announcement on October 27, 2022, Credit Suisse has made significant progress toward this transformation and on an accelerated schedule to build the foundation for the new Credit Suisse. Its strategy includes decisive actions to radically restructure the Investment Bank, including the substantial exit from the Securitized Products Group where the bank has already achieved more than 70% of the targeted asset reduction. The bank has also accelerated its cost transformation and is well on track to deliver CHF ~2.5 billion of cost base reductions by 2025, including CHF ~1.2 billion in 2023.