Credit Suisse Offers To Buy 3 Billion Francs Of Its Own Debt

(Bloomberg) -- Credit Suisse Group AG is offering to buy back debt securities for cash worth approximately 3 billion Swiss francs ($3 billion), just as the embattled lender tries to put the finishing touches on a planned overhaul.   

“The transactions are consistent with our proactive approach to managing our overall liability composition and optimizing interest expense and allow us to take advantage of market conditions to repurchase debt at attractive prices,” it said in a statement Friday.

Credit Suisse is weeks away from announcing the results of a major strategic review, which is likely to also include asset sales or market exits across units. Adding urgency to the review, the bank's shares have lost more than half of their value this year after slumping to record lows in recent days. The price investors have to pay to insure the bank's debt also surged recently to unprecedented levels. 

Investors are worried about how the bank will cover the cost of its plan and what that would mean for its capital strength, especially during a period when the investment bank has been suffering heavy losses. Credit Suisse had a CET1 capital ratio of 13.5% at June 30, far above the international regulatory minimum of 8% and the Swiss requirement of 10%.

The Swiss government, meanwhile, has been working on a new law since March that would provide a public liquidity backstop for systemically-relevant banks. 

The offer to buy back debt includes a cash tender offer in relation to eight euro or pound sterling denominated senior debt securities for an aggregate consideration of up to EUR 1 billion, according to the announcements. The bank is also pursuing a separate cash tender offer in relation to twelve US dollar senior debt securities for an aggregate consideration of up to $2 billion, it said.

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