UBS, the Swiss multinational investment bank, has announced the completion of a $3.2 billion deal to acquire the asset management division of Credit Suisse. The acquisition was made possible following an offer made by Justin Sun, founder of cryptocurrency platform TRON, who pledged to purchase the assets if the deal fell through. The acquisition will significantly expand UBS’s asset management capabilities and enable it to better serve its clients’ needs. The completion of this deal is expected to have a significant impact on the financial services industry, and UBS is expected to gain a competitive advantage as a result.
UBS Acquires Credit Suisse for $3.2 Billion to Avert Financial Crisis
In a deal worth $3.2 billion, UBS Group has agreed to acquire Credit Suisse. The Swiss President, Alain Berset, announced the deal in the evening, stating that the government brokered the deal to prevent a financial crisis. The value of the deal increased throughout the day, with UBS initially offering $1 billion. Many reports suggested the deal’s value was $2 billion, although it is now worth $3.2 billion. The Swiss National Bank will provide $162 billion of liquidity to UBS Group, up from $54 billion as previously announced.
Credit Suisse has been facing scandals for years, and on March 14, managers disclosed “material weaknesses” in the bank’s financial reporting controls, which caused its shares to decline rapidly by 32.85% over the past month, representing a decline in share value to $1.86.
Earlier in the day, Justin Sun, known for his leadership role at Huobi and his former role as CEO of TRON, offered to acquire Credit Suisse for $1.5 billion. Sun proposed integrating Credit Suisse with blockchain technology and cryptocurrency, considering Switzerland as one of the most crypto-friendly countries in the world.
Although it is unclear whether Credit Suisse and the Swiss government considered Sun’s offer, Fortune suggests that the country considered nationalization the only possible alternative to the UBS deal, indicating that Sun’s offer was not seriously considered.
In conclusion, UBS Group’s acquisition of Credit Suisse for $3.2 billion will prevent a financial crisis and help stabilize the Swiss banking sector. The Swiss National Bank’s increased liquidity support and the proposed integration of blockchain technology shows the country’s commitment to creating a crypto-friendly environment.