* Refers to adjusted results, results excluding significant items and results on a constant foreign exchange rate basis as applicable. Results excluding items included in our reported results are non-GAAP financial measures. For a reconciliation to the most directly comparable US GAAP measures, see the Appendix of this Media Release.
Abbreviations
AGM – Annual General Meeting; APAC – Asia Pacific; AuM – assets under management; BCBS – Basel Committee on Banking Supervision; BIS – Bank for International Settlements; CECL – US GAAP accounting standard for current expected credit losses; CET1 – common equity tier 1; CHF – Swiss francs; C&IC – Corporate & Institutional Clients; CRCO – Chief Risk and Compliance Officer; DCM – Debt Capital Markets; ECM – Equity Capital Markets; EMEA – Europe, Middle East, Africa; ExB – Executive Board; FINMA – Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA; FX – Foreign Exchange; FXC – Foreign Exchange Constant; GAAP – Generally accepted accounting principles; GTS – Global Trading Solutions; IB – Investment Bank; IPO – Initial Public Offering; ITS – International Trading Solutions; IWM – International Wealth Management; NAB– Neue Aargauer Bank; M&A – Mergers & Acquisitions; NNA – net new assets; PB – Private Banking; PC – Private Clients; PTI – Pre-Tax Income; RM – Relationship Manager; RMBS – Residential Mortgage Backed Securities; RoRC – Return on Regulatory Capital; RoTE – Return on Tangible Equity; RWA – risk weighted assets; SEC – U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission; SME – Small and Medium Enterprises; SRI – Sustainability, Research & Investment Solutions; SUB – Swiss Universal Bank; US – United States; USD – US dollar.
Important information
This document contains select information from the full 4Q20 Earnings Release and 4Q20 Results Presentation slides that Credit Suisse believes is of particular interest to media professionals. The complete 4Q20 Earnings Release and 4Q20 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 4Q20 Earnings Release and 4Q20 Results Presentation slides are not incorporated by reference into this document.
Credit Suisse has not finalized its 2020 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 presentation is subject to completion of year-end procedures, which may result in changes to that information.
This document contains certain unaudited interim financial information for the first quarter of 2021. This information has been derived from management accounts, is preliminary in nature, does not reflect the complete results of the first quarter of 2021 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 2021. 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 2021 will be included in our 1Q21 Financial Report. These interim results of operations are not necessarily indicative of the results to be achieved for the remainder of the full first quarter of 2021.
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 (including macroeconomic and other challenges and uncertainties, for example, resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic), 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, challenges and uncertainties resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, 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 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 provisions, real estate gains and other revenue and expense items included in our reported results, all of which are unavailable on a prospective basis. 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. Return on regulatory capital (a non-GAAP financial measure) is calculated using income / (loss) after tax and assumes a tax rate of 25% and capital allocated based on the average of 10% of risk-weighted assets and 3.5% of leverage exposure; the essential components of this calculation 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.
Return on tangible equity, a non-GAAP financial measure, is calculated as annualized net income attributable to shareholders divided by average tangible shareholders’ equity. Tangible shareholders’ equity, a non-GAAP financial measure, is calculated by deducting goodwill and other intangible assets from total shareholders’ equity as presented in our balance sheet. Management believes that return on tangible equity is meaningful as it is a measure used and relied upon by industry analysts and investors to assess valuations and capital adequacy. For end-4Q20, tangible shareholders’ equity excluded goodwill of CHF 4,426 million and other intangible assets of CHF 237 million from total shareholders’ equity of CHF 42,677 million as presented in our balance sheet. For end-3Q20, tangible shareholders’ equity excluded goodwill of CHF 4,577 million and other intangible assets of CHF 256 million from total shareholders’ equity of CHF 45,740 million as presented in our balance sheet.
Prior to 3Q20, regulatory capital was calculated as the worst of 10% of RWA and 3.5% of leverage exposure, and return on regulatory capital (a non-GAAP financial measure) was calculated using income / (loss) after tax and assumed a tax rate of 30%. In 3Q20, we updated our calculation approach, following which regulatory capital is calculated as the average of 10% of RWA and 3.5% of leverage exposure and return on regulatory capital (a non-GAAP financial measure) is calculated using income / (loss) after tax and assumes a tax rate of 30% for periods prior to 2020 and 25% from 2020 onward. For periods in 2020, for purposes of calculating Group return on regulatory capital, leverage exposure excludes cash held at central banks, after adjusting for the dividend paid in 2020. For the Investment Bank division, 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.
Foreign exchange impact is calculated by converting the CHF amount of net revenues, provision for credit losses and operating expenses for 2020 back to the original currency on a monthly basis at the respective spot foreign exchange rate. The respective amounts are then converted back to CHF applying the average 2019 foreign exchange rate from the period against which the foreign exchange impact is measured. Average foreign exchange rates apply a straight line average of monthly foreign exchange rates for major currencies.
Client business volume includes assets under management, custody assets and net loans.
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 capital, 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 and, for periods prior to 2019, on a “look-through” basis.
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. Unless otherwise noted, for periods in 2020, leverage exposure excludes cash held at central banks, after adjusting for the dividend paid in 2020.
Mandate penetration reflects advisory and discretionary mandate volumes as a percentage of assets under management, excluding those from the external asset manager business.
Pre-provision profit refers to the pre-tax income, excluding provision for credit losses.
References to Wealth Management mean SUB PC, IWM PB and APAC or their combined results. References to Wealth Management-related mean SUB, IWM and APAC or their combined results. References to global investment banking mean the Investment Bank, APAC advisory and underwriting as well as M&A, DCM and ECM in SUB C&IC. References to Global Trading Solutions, prior to 3Q20, mean the combination of ITS and APAC Solutions.
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.
The English language version of this document is the controlling version.
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” 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. 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 and that the COVID -19 pandemic creates significantly greater uncertainty about forward -looking statements in addition to the factors that generally affect our business.
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, including the persistence of a low or negative interest rate environment;
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 negative impacts of COVID-19 on the global economy and financial markets and the risk of continued slow economic recovery or downturn in the EU, the US or other developed countries or in emerging markets in 2021 and beyond;
the emergence of widespread health emergencies, infectious diseases or pandemics, such as COVID-19, and the actions that may be taken by governmental authorities to contain the outbreak or to counter its impact;
potential risks and uncertainties relating to the severity of impacts from COVID-19 and the duration of the pandemic, including potential material adverse effects on our business, financial condition and results of operations;
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, ambitions and financial goals;
the ability of counterparties to meet their obligations to us and the adequacy of our allowance for credit losses;
the effects of, and changes in, fiscal, monetary, exchange rate, trade and tax policies;
the effects of currency fluctuations, including the related impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations due to moves in foreign exchange rates;
political, social and environmental developments, including war, civil unrest or terrorist activity and climate change;
the ability to appropriately address social, environmental and sustainability concerns that may arise from our business activities;
the effects of, and the uncertainty arising from, the UK’s withdrawal from the EU;
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 reputation, business or operations, the risk of which is increased while large portions of our employees work remotely;
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 expected discontinuation of LIBOR and other interbank offered rates and the transition to alternative reference rates;
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 instituted by us, our counterparties or competitors;
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 2019 and in “Risk factor” in I – Credit Suisse in our 1Q20 Financial Report.
