ZURICH and NEW YORK, June 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Credit Suisse remains one of the best rated banks by Moody's Investors Service in its peer group - only two banks are rated higher - and the rating change announced by Moody's today will have no material impact on the bank's liquidity and funding planning.
Moody's Investors Service today announced the completion of its review of 17 banks with global capital markets operations, including Credit Suisse. As part of this industry-wide review, Credit Suisse AG's deposit and senior debt ratings were downgraded to A1 from Aa1. The outlook on all the ratings is stable. The A1 rating confirms Credit Suisse AG's leading position among its peers. Credit Suisse AG is the main operating and primary issuing entity of Credit Suisse Group AG.
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Credit Suisse AG's rating which has been unchanged by Moody's since 2007 was downgraded due to the Bank's commitment and exposure to capital markets activities.
The reasons for Moody's to rate Credit Suisse higher than most of its global capital markets peers are the following: (i) the stable stream of earnings from the bank's wealth management and Swiss banking businesses; (ii) a highly pro-active approach to risk management; (iii) a sound structural liquidity profile and strong liquidity risk management; (iv) an improving capital position that is expected to result in lower leverage and capital ratios above the average for the bank's peers; and (v) resilience to the weak operating environment in Europe, given low exposures to peripheral Europe and Switzerland's perceived safe-haven status.
David Mathers, CFO of Credit Suisse Group, said: "We are pleased that Moody's continues to recognize Credit Suisse as one of the most highly rated banks in its peer group, citing our balanced business portfolio, strong liquidity position, improving capital position as well as our low exposure to the peripheral European economies."
New Moody's ratings for Credit Suisse AG
- Deposit and senior debt ratings: A1 (previously Aa1)
- Provisional short-term rating: (P) Prime-1 (unchanged)
- Outlook: Stable (previously negative)
Credit Suisse AG is the main operating and primary issuing entity of Credit Suisse Group AG.
Credit Suisse AG
Credit Suisse AG is one of the world's leading financial services providers and is part of the Credit Suisse group of companies (referred to here as 'Credit Suisse'). As an integrated bank, Credit Suisse offers clients its combined expertise in the areas of private banking, investment banking and asset management. Credit Suisse provides advisory services, comprehensive solutions and innovative products to companies, institutional clients and high-net-worth private clients globally, as well as to retail clients in Switzerland. Credit Suisse is headquartered in Zurich and operates in over 50 countries worldwide. The group employs approximately 48,700 people. The registered shares (CSGN) of Credit Suisse's parent company, Credit Suisse Group AG, are listed in Switzerland and, in the form of American Depositary Shares (CS), in New York. Further information about Credit Suisse can be found at www.credit-suisse.com.
Cautionary statement regarding forward-looking information
This press release contains statements that constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In addition, in the future we, and others on our behalf, may make statements that constitute forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements may include, without limitation, statements relating to the following:
- our plans, objectives or goals;
- our future economic performance or prospects;
- the potential effect on our future performance of certain contingencies; and
- assumptions underlying any such statements.
Words such as "believes," "anticipates," "expects," "intends" and "plans" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements but are not the exclusive means of identifying such statements. We do not intend to update these forward-looking statements except as may be required by applicable securities laws. By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, and risks exist that predictions, forecasts, projections and other outcomes described or implied in forward-looking statements will not be achieved. We caution you that a number of important factors could cause results to differ materially from the plans, objectives, expectations, estimates and intentions expressed in such forward-looking statements. These factors include:
- the ability to maintain sufficient liquidity and access capital markets;
- market and interest rate fluctuations and interest rate levels;
- the strength of the global economy in general and the strength of the economies of the countries in which we conduct our operations, in particular the risk of continued slow economic recovery or downturn in the US or other developed countries in 2012 and beyond;
- the direct and indirect impacts of continuing deterioration or slow recovery in residential and commercial real estate markets;
- adverse rating actions by credit rating agencies in respect of sovereign issuers, structured credit products or other credit-related exposures;
- the ability to achieve our strategic objectives, including improved performance, reduced risks, lower costs, and more efficient use of capital;
- the ability of counterparties to meet their obligations to us;
- the effects of, and changes in, fiscal, monetary, trade and tax policies, and currency fluctuations;
- political and social developments, including war, civil unrest or terrorist activity;
- the possibility of foreign exchange controls, expropriation, nationalization or confiscation of assets in countries in which we conduct our operations;
- operational factors such as systems failure, human error, or the failure to implement procedures properly;
- actions taken by regulators with respect to our business and practices in one or more of the countries in which we conduct our operations;
- the effects of changes in laws, regulations or accounting policies or practices;
- competition in geographic and business areas in which we conduct our operations;
- the ability to retain and recruit qualified personnel;
- the ability to maintain our reputation and promote our brand;
- the ability to increase market share and control expenses;
- technological changes;
- the timely development and acceptance of our new products and services and the perceived overall value of these products and services by users;
- acquisitions, including the ability to integrate acquired businesses successfully, and divestitures, including the ability to sell non-core assets;
- the adverse resolution of litigation and other contingencies;
- the ability to achieve our cost efficiency goals and cost targets; and
- our success at managing the risks involved in the foregoing.
We caution you that the foregoing list of important factors is not exclusive. When evaluating forward-looking statements, you should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and events, as well as the information set forth in our Annual Report 2011 under "Risk factors" in the Appendix.
SOURCE Credit Suisse AG
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