UBS agreed to buy rival Swiss bank Credit Suisse for 3 billion Swiss francs ($3.23 billion) and agreed to assume up to $5.4 billion in losses, in a shotgun merger engineered by Swiss authorities to avoid further market-shaking turmoil in global banking, Trend reports citing Reuters.
Swiss regulators have been forced to step in and orchestrate a deal to prevent a crisis of confidence in Credit Suisse spilling over into the broader financial system. The deal is expected to close by the end of 2023.
The Swiss finance minister said the bankruptcy of a globally important bank would have created irreparable consequences for financial markets.
It was not yet clear if the deal is enough to restore trust in lenders around the world. The first indication could come when stock markets open in a few hours in Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
The Swiss central bank will supply substantial liquidity to the merged bank, it said at a news conference in the Swiss capital, Bern. It said the deal includes 100 billion Swiss francs ($108 billion) in liquidity assistance for UBS and Credit Suisse.