Under watchdog scrutiny, Credit Suisse caps assets and leverage

[May 06, 2021]    ZURICH (Reuters) - Credit Suisse will keep limits on its risk-weighted assets (RWA) and leverage while it remains under regulatory scrutiny over risk-management failures that cost it billions, the Swiss bank said on Thursday.

 The logo of Swiss bank Credit Suisse is seen at a branch office in Zurich, Switzerland, April 14, 2021. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann

It is raising capital, has halted share buybacks, cut its dividend and revamped management after losing more than $5 billion from the collapse of family office Archegos and suspending funds linked to British supply chain finance firm Greensill.

Chairman Antonio Horta-Osorio, who took office on Friday, has said he sees the scale of problems facing Switzerland's second-largest bank as his biggest challenge yet.

Together with the board, he is reviewing the group's business strategy and risk appetite, the bank said in its quarterly financial report released on Thursday.

"The amount of RWA and leverage exposure for both the investment bank and the group will be constrained by the board, in conjunction with (Swiss supervisor) FINMA, until the review is complete," the report said.

Any changes arising from the review could also affect the balance sheet.

"There can be no assurance that any additional losses, damages, costs and expenses, as well as any further regulatory and other investigations and actions or any downgrade of our credit ratings, will not be material to us," it said.

(Reporting by Michael Shields; editing by Barbara Lewis)

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