Explainer: What are AT1 bonds and why are Credit Suisse's wiped out?

  • 📰 Reuters
  • ⏱ Reading Time:
  • 48 sec. here
  • 2 min. at publisher
  • 📊 Quality Score:
  • News: 22%
  • Publisher: 97%

Loans Loans Headlines News

Loans Loans Latest News,Loans Loans Headlines

Financial markets have been thrown a fresh curve ball by the decision to write down 16 billion Swiss francs ($17.5 billion) of Credit Suisse bonds, known as Additional Tier 1 or AT1 debt, to zero as part of a forced rescue merger with UBS .

AT1 bonds - a $275 billion sector also known as "contingent convertibles" or "CoCo" bonds - act as shock absorbers if a bank's capital levels fall below a certain threshold. They can be converted into equity or written off.

They make up part of the capital cushion that regulators require banks to hold to provide support in times of market turmoil.If AT1s are converted into equity, this supports a bank's balance sheet and helps it to stay afloat. They also pave the way for a "bail-in", or a way for banks to transfer risks to investors and away from taxpayers if they get into trouble.AT1s rank higher than shares in the capital structure of a bank.

In Switzerland, the bonds' terms state, however, that in a restructuring, the financial watchdog is under no obligation to adhere to the traditional capital structure, which is how bondholders lost out in the Credit Suisse situation. Credit Suisse AT1 holders, therefore, are the only ones not to receive any kind of compensation. Under the rescue deal, they rank lower than shareholders in the bank, who can at least get UBS' takeover price of 0.76 Swiss francs per share.

 

Thank you for your comment. Your comment will be published after being reviewed.
Please try again later.
We have summarized this news so that you can read it quickly. If you are interested in the news, you can read the full text here. Read more:

 /  🏆 2. in LOANS

Loans Loans Latest News, Loans Loans Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Explainer: Credit Suisse bondholders seek legal advice on AT1 wipe-outCredit Suisse bondholders are seeking legal advice after the Swiss regulator ordered 16 billion Swiss francs ($17.5 billion) of Additional Tier-1 (AT1) debt to be wiped out under its rescue takeover by UBS . This should be interesting
Source: Reuters - 🏆 2. / 97 Read more »

Swiss regulator says central bank loan to Credit Suisse justified AT1 bond writedownThe country that had negative interest rates. What a joke. 🤣
Source: CNBC - 🏆 12. / 72 Read more »

Explainer: Why markets are in uproar over a risky bank bond known as AT1Financial markets have been thrown a fresh curve ball by the decision to write down 16 billion Swiss francs ($17.5 billion) of Credit Suisse bonds, known as Additional Tier 1 or AT1 debt, to zero as part of a forced rescue merger with UBS .
Source: Reuters - 🏆 2. / 97 Read more »

Swiss regulator defends its decision to write off AT1 bondsSwitzerland's financial market regulator FINMA defended its decision to impose steep losses on Credit Suisse bond holders on Thursday, saying the decision was legally watertight. the market will answer with their feet. “They paid me in cash… and lots of it!”
Source: Reuters - 🏆 2. / 97 Read more »

European banks default-risk indicator jumps, AT1 bonds fallThe cost of insuring against the likelihood of default by European banks rose sharply on Friday, as concern about the outlook for the sector continued to grip markets, almost a week on from the collapse of Credit Suisse . Banks have bavked too many risk plays by clients...liquidity crisis j dicstors flashed warni gs last November but regulators owned by the rich RIBA ngeribanget. No wonder the stocks are melting
Source: Reuters - 🏆 2. / 97 Read more »

What Are AT1 Bonds, and Why Are They Risky?Investors lost more than $17 billion in bank debt during the Credit Suisse takeover. The Swiss bank is just one institution with which AT1 bonds have been popular in recent years. Risky at least because no one has heard of them.And when the avalanche starts and everything falls.Only the strongest groups will remain. Politicians/central banks are desperately trying to calm the markets. Just like they did in 2008 just before everything brutally crashed... Good luck with that. fintwit BankingCrisis stockmarkets WallStreet These seem like terrible products, unnecessary in the modern economy and very tricky to hedge. We can't 'have our cake and eat it too.' If we want banks to be stable, reliable sources of liquidity and the engines of the mortgage/homeownership market, they by def financially…
Source: WSJ - 🏆 98. / 63 Read more »