Footnotes
* 3Q19 and 2019 include CHF 327 million related to the transfer of the InvestLab fund platform to Allfunds Group, recorded in SUB C&IC (CHF 98 million), IWM PB (CHF 131 million) and APAC PB within WM&C (CHF 98 million); 4Q19 and 2019 include CHF 498 million related to the revaluation of our equity investment in the SIX Group AG, recorded in SUB PC (CHF 149 million), SUB C&IC (CHF 157 million) and IWM PB (CHF 192 million). 4Q19 and 2019 included major litigation provisions of CHF 326 million and CHF 389 million, respectively. 4Q18 and 2018 included major litigation provisions of CHF 82 million and CHF 244 million, respectively. Results excluding these gains are non-GAAP financial measures
1 Refers to adjusted results, which are non-GAAP financial measures. For a reconciliation of the adjusted results to the most directly comparable US GAAP measures, see the Appendix to this Media Release
2 Adjusted operating cost base at constant 2018 FX rates
Abbreviations
APAC – Asia Pacific; AuM – assets under management; CHF – Swiss francs; CEO – Chief Executive Officer; CET1 – common equity tier 1; C&IC – Corporate & Institutional Clients; EMEA – Europe, Middle East and Africa; ESG – Environmental, Social and Governance; FINMA – Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority; GAAP – Generally accepted accounting principles; GM – Global Markets; IAF – Impact Advisory and Finance; IBCM – Investment Banking & Capital Markets; IPO – initial public offering; ITS – International Trading Solutions; IWM – International Wealth Management; M&A – mergers and acquisitions; NNA – net new assets; OECD – Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development; PB – Private Banking; PC – Private Clients; PTI – pre-tax income; RoTE – Return on Tangible Equity; RWA – risk weighted assets; SDG – Sustainable Development Goals; SIX – SIX Group AG; SUB – Swiss Universal Bank; TBVPS – tangible book value per share; (U)HNW – (ultra-)high-net-worth; UN – United Nations; USD – US dollar; WM&C – Wealth Management & Connected
Important information
This document contains select information from the full 4Q19 Earnings Release and 4Q19 Results Presentation slides that Credit Suisse believes is of particular interest to media professionals. The complete 4Q19 Earnings Release and 4Q19 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 4Q19 Earnings Release and 4Q19 Results Presentation slides are not incorporated by reference into this document.
Credit Suisse has not finalized its 2019 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 document is subject to completion of year-end procedures, which may result in changes to that information.
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 document, management has made estimates and assumptions that affect the numbers presented. Actual results may differ. Annualized 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 document 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.
Our ambitions often include metrics that are non-GAAP financial measures and are unaudited. A reconciliation of the ambitions to the nearest GAAP measures is unavailable without unreasonable efforts. Return on tangible equity is based on tangible shareholders' equity (also known as tangible book value), a non-GAAP financial measure, which is calculated by deducting goodwill and other intangible assets from total shareholders' equity as presented in our balance sheet, both of which are unavailable on a prospective basis. Such ambitions are calculated in a manner that is consistent with the accounting policies applied by us in preparing our financial statements.
Return on tangible equity is based on tangible shareholders’ equity, a non-GAAP financial measure, which is calculated by deducting goodwill and other intangible assets from total shareholders’ equity as presented in our balance sheet. Return on tangible equity figures are rounded up or down to the nearest whole number. Tangible book value, a non-GAAP financial measure, is equal to tangible shareholders' equity. Tangible book value per share is a non-GAAP financial measure, which is calculated by dividing tangible shareholders' equity by total number of shares outstanding. Management believes that tangible shareholders' equity/tangible book value, return on tangible equity and tangible book value per share are meaningful as they are measures used and relied upon by industry analysts and investors to assess valuations and capital adequacy. For end-4Q19, tangible shareholders’ equity excluded goodwill of CHF 4,663 million and other intangible assets of CHF 291 million from total shareholders’ equity of CHF 43,644 million as presented in our balance sheet. For end-4Q18, tangible shareholders’ equity excluded goodwill of CHF 4,766 million and other intangible assets of CHF 219 million from total shareholders’ equity of CHF 43,922 million as presented in our balance sheet. Shares outstanding were 2,436.2 million at end-4Q19 and were 2,550.6 million at end-4Q18.
Regulatory capital is calculated as the worst of 10% of RWA and 3.5% of leverage exposure. Return on regulatory capital is calculated using 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.
Following the successful completion of our restructuring program in 2018, we updated our calculation approach for adjusted operating cost base at constant FX rates. Beginning in 1Q19, adjusted operating cost base includes adjustments for major litigation provisions, expenses related to real estate disposals and the termination of real estate contracts initiated prior to 2019 and business sales as well as for debit valuation adjustments (DVA) related volatility and FX, but not for restructuring expenses and certain accounting changes. Adjustments for FX apply unweighted 2018 currency exchange rates, i.e., a straight line average of monthly rates, consistently for the periods under review. Under the current presentation, adjusted operating cost base at constant FX rates for periods prior to 1Q19 still include adjustments for restructuring expenses and a goodwill impairment taken in 4Q15, but no longer include an adjustment for certain accounting changes. 2018 excludes restructuring expenses of CHF 626 million, major litigation provisions of CHF 244 million, expenses related to business sales of CHF 51 million and DVA of CHF 46 million. 2019 excludes major litigation provisions of CHF 389 million, expenses related to real estate disposals of CHF 108 million, DVA of 53 million and an FX adjustment of CHF 25 million.
Credit Suisse is subject to the Basel III framework, as implemented in Switzerland, as well as Swiss legislation and regulations for systemically important banks, which include capital, liquidity, leverage and large exposure requirements and rules for emergency plans designed to maintain systemically relevant functions in the event of threatened insolvency. Credit Suisse has adopted the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) leverage ratio framework, as issued by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS) and implemented in Switzerland by the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA (FINMA).
Unless otherwise noted, all CET1 ratio, Tier-1 leverage ratio, risk-weighted assets and leverage exposure figures in this document are as of the end of the respective period.
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 tier 1 leverage ratio and CET1 leverage ratio are calculated as 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.
Generic references to profit and costs in this document refer to pre-tax income and operating expenses, respectively. References to net income refer to net income attributable to shareholders. 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 global advisory and underwriting include global revenues from advisory, debt and equity underwriting generated across all divisions.
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 document.
Information referenced in this document, whether via website links or otherwise, is not incorporated into this document.
Certain material in this document has been prepared by Credit Suisse on the basis of publicly available information, internally developed data and other third-party sources believed to be reliable. Credit Suisse has not sought to independently verify information obtained from public and third-party sources and makes no representations or warranties as to accuracy, completeness or reliability of such information.
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 statements. In addition, in the future we, and others on our behalf, may make statements that constitute forward-looking statements. Such forwardlooking statements may include, without limitation, statements relating to the following:
our plans, targets 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” an d “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.
By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, and risks exist th at 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, targets, goals, 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 developments 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 EU, the US or other developed countries or in emerging markets in 2020 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 our targets and financial goals;
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, 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;
the risk of cyber attacks, information or security breaches or technology failures on our business or operations;
the adverse resolution of litigation, regulatory proceedings and other contingencies;
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 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; 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 – Information on the company in our Annual Report 2018.
