London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jul 26, 2025

UK regulators back merger of banking giants Credit Suisse and UBS

UK regulators back merger of banking giants Credit Suisse and UBS

The Bank of England has told its Swiss counterpart and the country's two biggest banks that it will not object to an emergency merger.

British banking watchdogs have given their blessing to a takeover of Credit Suisse by its Swiss peer UBS, as financial regulators around the world race to contain the industry's biggest crisis since 2008.

Sky News understands that the Bank of England has indicated to international counterparts and to UBS that it will support the emergency transaction, which both European banking giants want to announce later on Sunday.

Credit Suisse has been brought to the brink of financial calamity despite securing a $54bn (£44bn) credit line from Switzerland's central bank several days ago.


The move, which was designed to reassure markets and depositors, failed to halt a rush of customer withdrawals, prompting a request from the Swiss government for UBS to explore a takeover of its historic rival late last week.

Jeremy Hunt, the chancellor, and Andrew Bailey, the Bank of England governor, are being kept informed about developments relating to the most significant global banking merger since the financial meltdown of 15 years ago.

Although Credit Suisse has a market capitalisation of just $8bn (£6.6bn) - down from close to $100bn (£82bn) at its 2007 peak - fears for its future have sent shockwaves through financial markets across the world.

Its vast investment bank balance sheet is reported to represent a stumbling block in the talks with UBS, and the precise structure of a deal remained unclear on Sunday morning.

UBS's board, chaired by the former Morgan Stanley executive Colm Kelleher, is said to have been reluctant to explore a deal with its fellow Swiss bank, which has been forced into a string of capital-raisings after huge fines and restructuring charges.

City sources said authorities in the US had pressed the Swiss government to expedite a solution to the crisis during the course of this weekend.

Reports suggest that UBS wants the Swiss government to provide a multibillion dollar backstop to insure it against losses arising from the takeover of its smaller rival.

The current tumult in the global banking sector was sparked by the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank in the US earlier this month.

Its UK branch was rescued by HSBC for £1, but a number of other mid-sized American lenders have also been forced to seek emergency funding.

Hopes takeover will avert contagion


Nevertheless, there are hopes that a takeover of Credit Suisse will avert the kind of contagion that evokes genuine comparisons with the crisis of 2008, when banks including Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers collapsed.

Credit Suisse employs approximately 5,000 people in the UK, making it one of the largest investment banking employers in the City.

The Bank of England declined to comment on Sunday, while Credit Suisse and UBS have been contacted for comment.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
×