FRANKFURT — Swiss banking giant UBS will buy the country’s second-largest bank Credit Suisse in a deal that will come as a relief to financial markets in Europe and across the world.
The first official announcement, from the Swiss National Bank, did not reveal the price of the transaction.
But UBS said in a subsequent statement that the total price is 3 billion Swiss francs, or about $3.25 billion, in UBS shares.
“With the takeover of Credit Suisse by UBS, a solution has been found to secure financial stability and protect the Swiss economy in this exceptional situation,” the Swiss National Bank said in its statement, noting that the deal was made possible with the support of the Swiss federal government, the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA and the Swiss National Bank.
Highlighting the urgency of securing a deal for the bank before markets open on Monday, Swiss authorities adjusted laws to allow further provision of liquidity by the Swiss central bank, while the government agreed to provide additional guarantees.
The 167-year-old Credit Suisse has been involved in a series of scandals that have undermined the confidence of investors and clients. It has thus found itself in the eye of the storm when the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank in the U.S. sparked fears of a banking crisis.
