UBS could buy all or parts of Credit Suisse

UBS Group AG is exploring an acquisition of all or parts of Credit Suisse Group AG at the urging of Swiss regulators after its smaller rival was pummeled by a crisis of confidence, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

Swiss officials are pushing UBS to look at various ways it could be involved with a solution for Credit Suisse, the people said, asking not to be identified describing private discussions. The deliberations are ongoing, and it’s unclear whether any deal will result, the people said.

The boards at Switzerland’s top two banks expect to meet separately this weekend to weigh the idea of a combination, with talks orchestrated by the Swiss National Bank and regulator Finma, according to the Financial Times, which reported the deliberations earlier Friday.

Spokespeople for UBS and Credit Suisse declined to comment.

A government-brokered deal would address a rout in Credit Suisse that sent shockwaves across the global financial system this week when panicked investors dumped its shares and bonds following the collapse of several smaller US lenders. A liquidity backstop by the Swiss central bank briefly arrested the declines, but the market drama carries the risk that clients or counterparties would continue fleeing, with potential ramifications for the broader industry.

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The government, central bank and Finma have been in close contact to discuss further ways to stabilise Credit Suisse, Bloomberg reported earlier this week. Ideas floated included a separation of the bank’s Swiss unit and an orchestrated tie-up with UBS, people familiar with the matter said previously.

Executives at UBS and Credit Suisse had been opposed to such an arranged combination, people familiar with the matter said earlier this week.

Credit Suisse’s market value has plunged to about 7.4 billion Swiss francs ($8 billion), from a 2007 peak of more than 100 billion francs. UBS’s market value is 60 billion francs.