Credit Suisse CFO Sees Bank's Growth Slowing Capital Build
- Bank still has flexibility, options to Swiss IPO, Mathers says
- Capital increase would need ‘strong and clear justification’
David Mathers. Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg
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Credit Suisse Group AG’s push to expand in some areas of trading and across its wealth management businesses will make it harder to build up capital buffers at the same pace as last year, Chief Financial Officer David Mathers said.
After selling billions in unwanted assets last year, the bank entered 2017 with a bigger capital ratio than analysts expected, even though the year ended in a loss stemming in large part from a $5.3 billion legal settlement. Improving on the capital performance this year presents a challenge because Credit Suisse has fewer assets to offload at a time when some businesses need more reserves to backstop growth, Mathers said in an interview in Zurich.