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Credit Suisse cuts 3% of staff

Swiss banking giant Credit Suisse said on Tuesday that third-quarter net profit rose 12 percent from a year ago to 683 million francs ($776 million), but said it would cut staff by three percent.

Credit Suisse cuts 3% of staff
Pingelig (File)

As the group employed 50,700 people at the end of September, its latest cost-cutting programme would see a reduction of about 1,500 jobs.

The group did not specify the departments targetted for cuts, but said it hoped to save 800 million francs by 2013 from the reductions.

This marks the second round of cuts in just over three months. At the end of July, the group said it would slash 2,000 jobs due to the difficult market environment.

However, Credit Suisse said on Tuesday that it was planning to invest in the faster-growing emerging markets of Brazil, Southeast Asia, China and Russia.

“This is expected to increase revenues from these markets from 15 percent in 2010 to 25 percent by 2014,” it said.

For the third quarter, all three of Credit Suisse’s main business sectors — asset management, investment banking and private banking — reported poor earnings.

Investment banking posted a loss of 190 million francs, while asset management recorded a 32-percent plunge in profit before taxes.

Private banking recorded a drop of 78 percent from a year ago, as the bank set aside massive provisions for two tax litigation cases.

They include a €150-million (183-million-franc) settlement announced in mid-September to end a probe by German authorities into whether the bank helped Germans to evade taxes.

Another 295 million francs have been set aside for a similar probe in the United States.

“We believe subdued economic growth and the low interest rate environment and increased regulation that we are seeing may persist for an extended period,” said Brady Dougan, chief executive officer of the bank.

“We may well continue to see continued low levels of client activity and a volatile trading environment,” he said, adding that the group was “well-equipped” to deal with the environment.

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BANK

Deutsche Bank to pay $130m to settle US bribery probes

Deutsche Bank will pay $130 million to settle a foreign bribery probe and fraud charges in precious metals trading, US officials announced on Friday.

Deutsche Bank to pay $130m to settle US bribery probes
A woman walks past the offices of Deutsche Bank in London. Photo: Tolga Akmen / AFP
The bribery case relates to illegal payments and to false reporting of those sums on the bank's books and records between 2009 and 2016, the Department of Justice said in a press release.
   
The bank “knowingly and wilfully” kept false records after employees conspired with a Saudi consultant to facilitate bribe payments of over $1 million to a decision maker, the DOJ said.
   
In another case, the bank paid more than $3 million “without invoices” to an Abu Dhabi consultant “who lacked qualifications… other than his family relationship with the client decision maker,” the DOJ said.
   
In addition to criminal fines and payments of ill-gotten gains, Deutsche Bank agreed to cooperate with government investigators under a three-year deferred prosecution agreement.
 
   
In the commodities fraud case, Deutsche Bank metals traders in New York, Singapore and London between 2008 and 2013 placed fake trade orders to profit by deceiving other market participants, the DOJ said.
   
The agreement took into account Deutsche Bank's cooperation with the probes, DOJ said.
   
“Deutsche Bank engaged in a criminal scheme to conceal payments to so-called consultants worldwide who served as conduits for bribes to foreign officials and others so that they could unfairly obtain and retain lucrative business projects,” said Acting US Attorney Seth D. DuCharme of the Eastern District of New York.
   
“This office will continue to hold responsible financial institutions that operate in the United States and engage in practices to facilitate criminal activity in order to increase their bottom line.”
   
“We take responsibility for these past actions, which took place between 2008 and 2017,” said Deutsche Bank spokesperson Dan Hunter, adding that the company has taken “significant remedial actions” including hiring staff and upgrading technology to address the shortcomings.
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