Note: Our estimates, ambitions, objectives and targets often include metrics that are non-GAAP financial measures and are unaudited. A reconciliation of the estimates, ambitions, objectives and targets to the nearest GAAP measures is unavailable without unreasonable efforts. Adjusted* results exclude goodwill impairment, major litigation charges, real estate gains and other revenue and expense items included in our reported results, all of which are unavailable on a prospective basis. Such estimates, ambitions, objectives and targets are calculated in a manner that is consistent with the accounting policies applied by us in preparing our financial statements.
Adjusted results referred to in this Media Release are non-GAAP financial measures that exclude goodwill impairment and certain other revenues and expenses included in our reported results. Management believes that adjusted results provide a useful presentation of our operating results for the purposes of assessing our Group and divisional performance consistently over time, on a basis that excludes items that management does not consider representative of our underlying performance.
We reported quarterly on the same adjusted* basis for the Group, Core and divisional results until end-2018 to allow investors to monitor our progress in implementing our strategy, given the material restructuring charges we incurred and other items which were not reflective of our underlying performance but were to be borne during the three-year restructuring programme. Tables in the Appendix of this Media Release provide the detailed reconciliation between reported and adjusted results for the Group, Core businesses and the individual divisions.
Abbreviations
APAC – Asia Pacific; ASU – Accounting Standards Update; AuM – assets under management; BCBS – Basel Committee on Banking Supervision; BEAT – Base Erosion and Anti-Abuse Tax; BIS – Bank of International Settlements; CCAR – Comprehensive Capital Analysis and Review; CHF – Swiss francs; CET1 – common equity tier 1; DVA - Debit valuation adjustments; EMEA – Europe, Middle East and Africa; ESG – environmental, social and governance; FINMA – Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority; FX – foreign exchange; GM – Global Markets; HNW – high-net-worth; IAF – Impact Advisory and Finance department; IBCM – Investment Banking & Capital Markets; ITS – International Trading Solutions; IWM – International Wealth Management; M&A – mergers and acquisitions; NNA – net new assets; PB – Private Banking; PC – Private Clients; RWA – risk-weighted assets; SEC – Securities and Exchange Commission; SRU – Strategic Resolution Unit; SUB – Swiss Universal Bank; USD – US dollar; GAAP – Generally accepted accounting principles; WM&C – Wealth Management & Connected
Important information
This Media Release contains select information from the full 4Q18 Earnings Release and 4Q18 Results Presentation slides that Credit Suisse believes is of particular interest to media professionals. The complete 4Q18 Earnings Release and 4Q18 Results Presentation slides, which have been distributed simultaneously, contain more comprehensive information about our results and operations for the reporting quarter, as well as important information about our reporting methodology and some of the terms used in these documents. The complete 4Q18 Earnings Release and 4Q18 Results Presentation slides are not incorporated by reference into this Media Release.
Credit Suisse has not finalised its 2018 Annual Report and Credit Suisse’s independent registered public accounting firm has not completed its audit of the consolidated financial statements for the period. Accordingly, the financial information contained in this Media Release is subject to completion of year-end procedures, which may result in changes to that information.
Information referenced in this Media Release, whether via website links or otherwise, is not incorporated into this Media Release.
Our cost savings programme, until the end of 2018, is measured using an adjusted operating cost base at constant 2015 FX rates. “Adjusted operating cost base at constant FX rates” includes adjustments as made in all our disclosures for restructuring expenses, major litigation expenses, expenses related to business sales and a goodwill impairment taken in 4Q15 as well as adjustments for debit valuation adjustments (DVA) related volatility, FX and for certain accounting changes (which had not been in place at the launch of the cost savings programme). Adjustments for certain accounting changes have been restated to reflect grossed up expenses in the Corporate Center and, starting in 1Q18, also include adjustments for changes from ASU 2014-09 “Revenue from Contracts with Customers”, which is described further in our 1Q18, 2Q18 and 3Q18 Financial Reports. Adjustments for FX apply unweighted currency exchange rates, i.e., a straight line average of monthly rates, consistently for the periods under review. Starting from 1Q19, we intend to express our operating cost base at constant 2018 FX rates and to adjust for significant litigation costs, expenses related to business and real estate sales, as well as DVA related volatility, but not for restructuring expenses and certain accounting changes. Adjustments for FX will continue to apply unweighted currency exchange rates.
Regulatory capital is calculated as the worst of 10% of RWA and 3.5% of leverage exposure. Return on regulatory capital is calculated using (adjusted) income / (loss) after tax and assumes a tax rate of 30% and capital allocated based on the worst of 10% of average RWA and 3.5% of average leverage exposure. For the Markets business within the APAC division and for the Global Markets and Investment Banking & Capital Markets divisions, return on regulatory capital is based on US dollar denominated numbers. Adjusted return on regulatory capital is calculated using adjusted results, applying the same methodology to calculate return on regulatory capital.
We may not achieve all of the expected benefits of our strategic initiatives. Factors beyond our control, including but not limited to the market and economic conditions, changes in laws, rules or regulations and other challenges discussed in our public filings, could limit our ability to achieve some or all of the expected benefits of these initiatives.
In particular, the terms “Estimate”, “Illustrative”, “Ambition”, “Objective”, “Outlook” and “Goal” are not intended to be viewed as targets or projections, nor are they considered to be Key Performance Indicators. All such estimates, illustrations, ambitions, objectives, outlooks and goals are subject to a large number of inherent risks, assumptions and uncertainties, many of which are completely outside of our control. These risks, assumptions and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, general market conditions, market volatility, interest rate volatility and levels, global and regional economic conditions, political uncertainty, changes in tax policies, regulatory changes, changes in levels of client activity as a result of any of the foregoing and other factors. Accordingly, this information should not be relied on for any purpose. We do not intend to update these estimates, illustrations, ambitions, objectives, outlooks or goals.
In preparing this media release, management has made estimates and assumptions that affect the numbers presented. Actual results may differ. Annualised numbers do not take into account variations in operating results, seasonality and other factors and may not be indicative of actual, full-year results. Figures throughout this media release may also be subject to rounding adjustments. All opinions and views constitute judgments as of the date of writing without regard to the date on which the reader may receive or access the information. This information is subject to change at any time without notice and we do not intend to update this information.
This document contains certain unaudited interim financial information for the first quarter of 2019. This information has been derived from management accounts, is preliminary in nature, does not reflect the complete results of the first quarter of 2019 and is subject to change, including as a result of any normal quarterly adjustments in relation to the financial statements for the first quarter of 2019. This information has not been subject to any review by our independent registered public accounting firm. There can be no assurance that the final results for these periods will not differ from these preliminary results, and any such differences could be material. Quarterly financial results for the first quarter of 2019 will be included in our 1Q19 Financial Report. These interim results of operations are not necessarily indicative of the results to be achieved for the remainder of 1Q19 or the full first quarter of 2019.
As of January 1, 2013, Basel III was implemented in Switzerland along with the Swiss “Too Big to Fail” legislation and regulations thereunder (in each case, subject to certain phase-in periods). As of January 1, 2015, the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) leverage ratio framework, as issued by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS), was implemented in Switzerland by the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA (FINMA). Our related disclosures are in accordance with our interpretation of such requirements, including relevant assumptions. Changes in the interpretation of these requirements in Switzerland or in any of our assumptions or estimates could result in different numbers from those shown in this media release.
Unless otherwise noted, leverage exposure is based on the BIS leverage ratio framework and consists of period-end balance sheet assets and prescribed regulatory adjustments. The look-through tier 1 leverage ratio and CET1 leverage ratio are calculated as look-through BIS tier 1 capital and CET1 capital, respectively, divided by period end leverage exposure. Swiss leverage ratios are measured on the same period-end basis as the leverage exposure for the BIS leverage ratio.
Gross margin is calculated by dividing net revenues by average assets under management. Net margin is calculated by dividing income before taxes by average assets under management. Adjusted margins are calculated using adjusted results, applying the same methodology used to calculate gross and net margin.
References to Wealth Management mean SUB PC, IWM PB and APAC PB within WM&C or their combined results. References to Wealth Management-related mean SUB, IWM and APAC WM&C or their combined results. References to Markets mean Global Markets and APAC Markets or their combined results.
References to global advisory and underwriting include global revenues from advisory, debt and equity underwriting generated across all divisions before cross-divisional revenue sharing agreements.
Generic references to profit and costs in this media release refer to pre-tax income and operating expenses, respectively.
Investors and others should note that we announce material information (including quarterly earnings releases and financial reports) to the investing public using press releases, SEC and Swiss ad hoc filings, our website and public conference calls and webcasts. We intend to also use our Twitter account @creditsuisse (https://twitter.com/creditsuisse) to excerpt key messages from our public disclosures, including earnings releases. We may retweet such messages through certain of our regional Twitter accounts, including @csschweiz (https://twitter.com/csschweiz) and @csapac (https://twitter.com/csapac). Investors and others should take care to consider such abbreviated messages in the context of the disclosures from which they are excerpted. The information we post on these Twitter accounts is not a part of this Media Release.
In various tables, use of “–” indicates not meaningful or not applicable.
Cautionary statement regarding forward-looking information
This document contains statements that constitute forward-looking state- ments. 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, ambitions, targets or goals;
our future economic performance or prospects;
the potential effect on our future performance of certain contin- gencies; and
assumptions underlying any such statements.
Words such as “believes,” “anticipates,” “expects,” “intends” and “plans” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking state- ments but are not the exclusive means of identifying such statements. We do not intend to update these forward-looking statements.
By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, and risks exist that predic- tions, 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, ambitions, targets, expectations, estimates and intentions expressed in such forward-looking statements. These factors include:
the ability to maintain sufficient liquidity and access capital markets;
market volatility and interest rate fluctuations and developmen affecting 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 or in emerging markets in 2019 and beyond;
the direct and indirect impacts of deterioration or slow recovery in residential and commercial real estate markets;
adverse rating actions by credit rating agencies in respect of us, sovereign issuers, structured credit products or other credit-related exposures;
the ability to achieve our strategic goals, including those related to
cost efficiency, income/(loss) before taxes, capital ratios and return on regulatory capital, leverage exposure threshold, risk-weighted assets threshold, return on tangible equity and other targets, objectives and ambitions;
the ability of counterparties to meet their obligations to us;
the effects of, and changes in, fiscal, monetary, exchange rate, trade and tax policies, as well as currency fluctuations;
political and social developments, including war, civil unrest or terrorist activity;
the possibility of foreign exchange controls, expropriation, national- ization 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;
the risk of cyber attacks on our business or operations;
actions taken by regulators with respect to our business and practices and possible resulting changes to our business organization, practices and policies in countries in which we conduct our operations;
the effects of changes in laws, regulations or accounting or tax standards, policies or practices in countries in which we conduct our operations;
the potential effects of proposed changes in our legal entity structure;
competition or changes in our competitive position 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, regulatory proceedings and other contingencies; and
other unforeseen or unexpected events and our success at managing these and 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, including the information set forth in “Risk factors” in I – Infor- mation on the company in our Annual Report 2017.
