UBS

This article is about the investment bank and financial services company. For other uses, seeUBS (disambiguation).

Not to be confused with the courier company UPS, orUnited Parcel Service.

UBS Group AGis a multinationalinvestment bankandfinancial servicescompany founded and based inSwitzerland.Headquartered simultaneously inZürichandBasel,it maintains a presence in all major financial centres as thelargest Swiss banking institutionand thelargest private bankin the world. UBS investment bankers and private bankers are known for their strict bank–client confidentiality and culture ofbanking secrecy.Because of the bank's large positions in theAmericas,EMEAandAsia Pacificmarkets, theFinancial Stability Boardconsiders it aglobal systemically important bank.

UBS Group AG

Headquarters inZürich,Switzerland
Formerly	Union Bank of Switzerland(1862–1998)
Company type	Public(Aktiengesellschaft)
Traded as	SIX:UBSG NYSE:UBS SMIcomponent
ISIN	CH0244767585
Industry	Banking Financial services
Predecessor	Union Bank of Switzerland Swiss Bank Corporation
Founded	29 June 1998(1998-06-29)(through the merger of Union Bank of Switzerland and Swiss Bank Corporation)
Headquarters	Zürich,Switzerland
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Colm Kelleher(chairman) Sergio Ermotti(CEO) Todd Tuckner (CFO)
Products	Investment banking wealth management private banking investment management asset management corporate banking retail banking corporate banking private equity finance and insurance retail banking mortgages credit cards mutual funds exchange-traded funds index funds
Revenue	US$40.8 billion(2023)
Operating income	US$28.7 billion (2023)
Net income	US$27.8 billion (2023)
AUM	US$5.71 trillion (2023)
Total assets	US$1.72 trillion (2023)
Total equity	US$86.1 billion (2023)
Number of employees	115,038 (end 2023)
Subsidiaries	Credit Suisse
Capital ratio	Tier 114.4% (2023)
Rating	S&P:A+ Moody's:Aa2 Fitch:AA-
Website	www.ubs.com
Footnotes / references UBS Institutional Reporting as of: end of 2023

Apart from private banking, UBS provideswealth management,asset managementand investment banking services for private, corporate and institutional clients with international service. UBS manages the largest amount of private wealth in the world, counting approximately half ofThe World's Billionairesamong its clients. UBS also maintainsa global investment bankand is considered a primarymarket maker.The bank also maintains numerous undergroundbank vaults,bunkers and storage facilities for gold bars around theSwiss Alpsand internationally. Partly due to its banking secrecy, it has been at the centre ofnumerous tax avoidance investigationsundertaken by U.S., French, German, Israeli and Belgian authorities. UBS operations in Switzerland and the United States were respectively ranked first and second on the 2018Financial Secrecy Index.

As of December 2023,UBS is the seventh largest bank in Europe with total assets worth over €1.554 trillion.It is one of the eight global "Bulge Bracket"banks. It has overCHF3.2 trillion in assets under management (AUM), approximately CHF 2.8 trillion of which are invested assets.In June 2017, itsreturn on invested capitalwas 11.1%, followed byGoldman Sachs' 9.35%, andJPMorgan Chase's 9.456%.UBS acquired rivalCredit Suissein anemergency rescue dealbrokered by the Swiss government and its Central bank in 2023, following which UBS' AUM increased to over $5 trillion along with an increased balanced sheet of $1.6 trillion.In late 2016, UBS established ablockchain technologyresearch lab inLondonto advance its cyber security and encryption of client activities. Based on regional deal flow and political influence, UBS is considered one of the "biggest, most powerful financial institutions in the world".The company's capital strength, security protocols, and reputation for discretion have yielded a substantial market share in banking and a high level ofbrand loyalty.Alternatively, it receives routine criticism for facilitating tax noncompliance andoff-shore financing.UBS is aprimary dealerandForexcounterparty of the U.S.Federal Reserve.

History

UBS was founded in 1862 as theBank in Winterthur.This development came with the formation of the series of modern SwissGrossbanken(big banks) in the latter part of the 19th century.The name of the bank was derived from the town ofWinterthur,which served as Switzerland's industrial hub in the 19th century.By 1854, six private bankers inBaselfounded theSwiss Bank Corporation(SBC) to cater to the increasing credit needs of Swiss railroad and manufacturing companies.It formed aprivate bankingsyndicate that expanded, aided by Switzerland'sinternational neutrality.

In 1912, the Bank of Winterthur merged withToggenburger Bankto form theUnion Bank of Switzerland(UBS)and grew rapidly after theBanking Law of 1934codified Swiss banking secrecy. Following decades of market competition between Union Bank of Switzerland and the Swiss Bank Corporation (SBC), the two merged in 1998 to create a single company known solely as "UBS".The agreement to merge had been made the previous year at a meeting of theInstitut International d’Etudes Bancaires,a secretive club for European banking CEOs.

UBS does not stand for Union Bank of Switzerland. The name 'UBS' came from one of its predecessor firms - the Union Bank of Switzerland. However, just like other prominent brands which used to be an abbreviation of a company name, UBS is no longer considered an acronym. In fact, that was one of the more than 370 financial firms that have, since 1862, become part of today's UBS.

During the2007–2008 financial crisis,UBS managed heavy losses with an asset relief recovery programme.In 2011, the company was hit by the2011 rogue trader scandalresulting in aUS$2 billion trading loss.In 2012, the bank reoriented itself around wealth management advisory services and limited itssell sideoperations.

Corporate structure

Capital ownership of UBS by country of origin as of 2014.

Switzerland (19.5%)

United States (10.6%)

United Kingdom (16.8%)

Asia-Pacific-Singapore (9.7%)

Germany (0.7%)

Others (42.7%)

UBS is ajoint-stockcompany (Aktiengesellschaft) pursuant to Swiss laws. Its shares are listed at theSIX Swiss Exchangeand theNew York Stock Exchange(NYSE). As of December 2020, UBS is present in all major financial centres worldwide, having offices in 50 countries, with about 30% of its approx. 73,000 employees working in the Americas, 30% in Switzerland, 19% in Europe (excluding Switzerland), the Middle East and Africa and 21% in the Asia Pacific region.The bank has its major presence in theUnited States.Its American headquarters forinvestment bankingare located inNew York City,forprivate wealth managementadvisory inWeehawken, New Jersey.They havesales & tradingand private wealth management offices inStamford, Connecticut.

The company's global business groups areglobal wealth management,investment bank,asset managementand personal & corporate banking.UBS is the leading provider ofretail bankingandcommercial bankingservices in Switzerland, as established already in 2009.Overall invested assets are $3.101 billion,shareholders' equityis $52.928 billion andmarket capitalizationis $45.907 billion by the end of 2018.In November 2014, the shares in UBS Group AG were listed and started trading as a newholding companyat the NYSE and SIX Swiss Exchange. Upon application and with effect as of 14 January 2015, the shares of UBS AG, thesubsidiaryof the UBS Group AG, were delisted from the NYSE.As of September 2019, the largest institutional shareholders are:

The UBS Investment Bank's Offices at299 Park AvenueinNew York City

Owner name	%
Chase Nominees Ltd., London	11.76
DTC (Cede & Co.), New York	7.57
Nortrust Nominees Ltd., London	4.53

As of 30 June 2018, the geographical distribution of the shareholders presents itself as follows:

	Shareholders	%	Shares	%
Americas	5,675	2.5	434,200,367	11.3
Asia Pacific	5,530	2.4	101,914,133	2.6
Europe, Middle East and Africa	13,065	5.7	823,401,277	21.4
Switzerland	206,060	89.5	823,785,072	21.4
Total registered shares			2,183,300,849	56.6
Total unregistered shares			1,671,288,703	43.34
Total	230,330	100.0	3,854,589,522	100.0

As of June 2018, UBS's corporate structure includes four divisions in total, namely:

• Global Wealth Management
• Personal & Corporate Bank
• Asset Management
• Investment Bank

Starting on 9 June 2003, all UBS business groups, including UBS Paine Webber and UBS Warburg, were rebranded under the UBS moniker following company's start of operations as a unified global entity.

Global Wealth Management

UBS's globalwealth managementadvisory division offershigh-net-worth individualsaround the world a range of advisory andinvestment productsand services.As of the end of 2016, UBS Wealth Management's invested assets totalled CHF 977billion.The whole companiesassets under management (AUM)amounted to US$1,737.5 billion in 2015, representing a 1% decrease in AUM compared to the equivalent data of 2014.As of 2018, UBS manages the largest amount ofprivate wealthin the world, counting approximately half ofThe World's Billionairesamong its clients.More than 60% of total invested assets in UBS Wealth Management belong to individuals with a net worth of CHF 10 million or more. Of the remaining 40% of total invested assets, 30% of the total belong to individuals with net worth between CHF 1 million and CHF 10 million and the last 10% of total assets belong to individuals with a net worth of less than CHF 1 million.

UBS offersbrokerageservices and products as well asasset managementand other investment advisory and portfolio management products and services.Additionally, UBS provides a broad range ofsecuritiesand savings products that are supported by the firm'sunderwritingandresearchactivities as well as clients' orders management and execution and also clearing services for transactions originated by individual investors. The business is further divided geographically with separate businesses focused on the U.S. and other international markets.Two-thirds of the total invested assets come from Europe and Switzerland, with the final third coming mainly from the Asia-Pacific region.

UBS U.S. wealth management headquarters atLincoln HarborinWeehawken,New Jersey

With itsheadquartersin Switzerland, UBS Wealth Management is present in more than 40 countries with approximately 190 offices (100 of which are in Switzerland).As of the end of 2018, around 23,600 people worldwide were employed by Global Wealth Management.In Switzerland, UBS Swiss Bank provides a complete set ofretail banking servicesthat includeschequing,savings,credit cards,andmortgage productsfor individuals.They offercash managementandcommercial bankingservices for small businesses and corporate clients as well.

UBS global wealth management advisory operations in theAmericasconsists of U.S. and Canadianwealth managementbusinesses, as well as international business booked in the U.S.UBS Wealth Management in the U.S. is an outgrowth of the formerPaine Webberbrokerage business. The business was initially renamedUBS Paine Webberin March 2001, after it was acquired by UBS. The division offerswealth managementadvice forultra-high net worthandhigh net worthclients.UBS was named "Best Bank for Wealth Management in North America" at theEuromoneyAwards for Excellence 2017.

UBS's main competitors in this division areBank of America,Morgan Stanley,JP Morgan Chase,Wells FargoandCharles Schwab.

Personal and Corporate Banking

UBS's Personal & Corporate Banking division delivers financial products and services to retail,corporate and institutional clientsin Switzerland.It also provides stable and substantial profits for the Group andrevenueopportunities for businesses within the bank.UBS maintains a leading position in the retail and corporate loan market in Switzerland; in fact, it serves one in threepension funds,more than 85% of the 1,000 largest Swiss corporations and 85% of banks that resides within the nation.In 2015, 2017 and 2018, the international financial magazineEuromoneynamed UBS "Best Domestic Cash Manager Switzerland".As of 31 December 2018, its lending portfolio reached US$131 billion (~$157 billion in 2023).

The products that this UBS division offers range fromcash accounts,payments,savingsand retirement plans toinvestment fundproducts,residential mortgagesand advisory services.This business division constitutes a central building block of UBS's universal bank delivery model in Switzerland and it supports other divisions, such as Investment Bank, by referring clients to them and by assisting them to build their wealth to a level at which they can be transferred to UBS Wealth Management.The retail and corporate distribution network comprises not only 279 branches in Switzerland, but 1,250teller machinesand self-service terminals, as well asdigital bankingservices, serving 2.5 million personal banking clients.

UBS Asset Management

The entrance ofUBS ToweratOne North Wacker Drive,a 50-story skyscraper indowntown Chicago

UBSAsset Managementoffers equity,fixed income,currency,hedge fund,globalreal estate,infrastructure andprivate equityinvestment capabilities that can also be combined in multi-asset strategies.The 1998 UBS-SBC merger and subsequent restructuring resulted in the combination of three major asset management operations: UBS Asset Management,Phillips & Drew(owned byUnion Bank of Switzerland), andBrinson Partners(owned by SBC). The investment teams were merged in 2000 and in 2002 the brands were consolidated to becomeUBS Global Asset Management.

At the end of December 2018, UBS Asset Management was responsible for US$781 billion of invested assets and the assets under administration were US$413 billion. With around 2,300 employees in 23 countries, UBS Asset Management is the largestmutual fundmanager in Switzerland, a leading fund house in Europe, and one of the largesthedge fundsand real estate investment managers in the world.It has main offices inChicago,Hong Kong,London,New York,Singapore,Sydney,Tokyo,andZürich.With the aim to generate systematic products and services for clients, in 2017, UBS integrated Equities, Fixed Income and Solutions capabilities and hedge funds business within a new area named Investments. UBS also formed a new area of business named Real Estate and Private Markets by combining their Global Real Estate and Infrastructure and Private Equity businesses.

In February 2017, UBS Group AG and theNorthern Trust Corporation,an American international financial services company, announced an agreement for the acquisition of UBS Asset Management's fund administration servicing units inLuxembourgandSwitzerland.This acquisition will facilitate the expansion of the Northern Trust Corporation into these two countries, turning the American company into the major fund administrator in the local markets and into one of the ten global leaders in the sector. At the end of the transaction, completed in October 2017,the American company will administrate a total of CHF 420 billion in assets. UBS Asset Management will continue anyway to offer Management Company, White Labelling and Representative Services to its clients.Ulrich Körner,president of the UBS Asset Management, affirms that the continuous transformation of their platform is due to a major efficiency, effectiveness and geographical dislocation of the services offered by the bank.

UBS's main competitors in this division areBlackRock,Vanguard Group,State Street Global Advisers(SSGA),Fidelity InvestmentsandAllianzAsset Management (AAM).

UBS Investment Bank

UBS Investment Bank's former offices inStamford, Connecticut.At roughly the size of two Americanfootball fields,it was the largest column-less trading floor in the world.

UBS Investment Bank provides services covering securities, other financial products, and research inequities,rates,credit,foreign exchange,precious metalsandderivatives.As of the end of December 2018, the personnel employed at UBS Investment Bank totalled 5,205, present in 33 countries (with principal offices in Chicago, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, London, New York, Shanghai, Singapore, Tokyo and Zurich).This business division also advises and provides access to capital markets for corporate and institutional clients, governments, financial intermediaries, alternative asset managers, and private investors.UBS Investment Bank was formerly known asUBS Warburgand asWarburg Dillon Read,before the merger of theUnion Bank of Switzerlandand theSwiss Bank Corporation(SBC). Within the UBS Investment Bank division, the Investment Banking Department (IBD) provides a range of advisory and underwriting services includingmergers and acquisitions,restructuring,equity offerings,investment grade andhigh yield debtofferings,leveraged financeand leveraged loan structuring, and theprivate placementofequity,debt,andderivatives.

The Sales & Trading division comprises equities (brokering,dealing,market makingand engaging inproprietary tradinginequities,equity-related products,equity derivatives,andstructured products) and FX, Rates and Credit (FRC) (brokering,dealing,market makingand engaging inproprietary tradingin interest rate products, credit products,mortgage-backed securities,leveraged loans,investment grade andhigh-yield debt,currencies,structured products,andderivative products). Following an expansion in 2002, the trading floor covers 9,600-square-metre (103,000 sq ft) with 12-metre (40 ft) arched ceilings. Over US$1 trillion in assets are traded here every trading day. In June 2011, it was announced that UBS was considering moving its North American headquarters back to New York City, and that the bank was looking for office spaces in Midtown and in the rebuiltWorld Trade Center.

UBS's main competitors in this division are fellow members of theBulge Bracket,particularlyGoldman Sachs,JPMorgan Chase,andBank of America. The American division also offers its own credit card not sponsored by another bank unlike many of its competitors.

Competition

UBS andCredit Suissebranches next to each other in Zurich

On a global scale, UBS competes with thelargest global investment banks,particularly within theBulge Bracket.and untilacquiringCredit Suissein 2023 was regularly compared against it.According to a 2018 study published by Coalition Research Institute, UBS was among the top 10 of the world's investment banks.

• InSwitzerland:UBS competes with a number ofcantonal banks,such asZürcher Kantonalbank,Banque cantonale vaudoiseand other cantonal banks, as well asRaiffeisen,PostFinance,and theMigros Bank.
• InEurope:UBS competes with several larger banks, such asDeutsche Bank,HSBC,Crédit agricole,BNP Paribas,Natixis,Royal Bank of Scotland,SantanderandUniCredit.
• In theUnited States:UBS competes with the largest American banks, such asCitigroup,Bank of America,Goldman Sachs,JPMorgan ChaseandMorgan Stanley.

History

UBS traces its history to 1862, the year whenBank in Winterthur,forerunner ofUnion Bank of Switzerland,was founded.When Union Bank and SBC merged, officials originally wanted to name the merged company the "United Bank of Switzerland," but opted to call it simplyUBSbecause of a name clash with the separate Swiss companyUnited Bank Switzerland– a part of theUnited Bank Limited's Swiss subsidiary. Therefore, UBS is no longer anacronymbutisthe company's brand. Its logo of three keys, carried over from SBC, stands for the company's values of confidence, security, and discretion.

Swiss Bank Corporation

Main article:Swiss Bank Corporation

Swiss Bank Corporationlogo (c. 1973), featuring the three keys meant to symbolize confidence, security, and discretion

UBS' earliest corporate ancestor was formed in 1854, when six private banking firms inBasel,Switzerland pooled their resources to form theBankverein,a consortium that acted as an underwritingsyndicatefor its member banks.In 1871, the Bankverein coordinated with the GermanFrankfurter Bankvereinto form theBasler Bankverein,ajoint-stockcompany replacing the original Bankverein consortium.After the new bank started with an initial commitment of CHF 30 million and CHF 6 million of share capital, it soon experienced growing pains when heavy losses in Germany caused it to suspend its dividend until 1879.Following the years 1885 and 1886, when the bank merged with the Zürcher Bankverein and acquired the Basler Depositenbank and the Schweizerische Unionbank, it changed its name toSchweizerischer Bankverein.The English name of the bank was originally Swiss Bankverein, but was changed to Swiss Bank Corporation (SBC) in 1917.

TheBaseloffices of Swiss Bank Corporation c.1920

SBC subsequently experienced a period of growth, which was only interrupted by the onset ofWorld War I,in which the bank lost investments in a number of large industrial companies. By the end of 1918, the bank had recovered and surpassed CHF 1 billion in total assets and grew to 2,000 employees by 1920. The impact of thestock market crash of 1929and theGreat Depressionwas severe, particularly as theSwiss francsuffered majordevaluationin 1936. The bank saw its assets fall from a 1929 peak of CHF 1.6 billion to its 1918 levels of CHF 1 billion by 1936.

In 1937, SBC adopted its three-keyslogo,designed byWarja Honegger-Lavater,symbolizing confidence, security, and discretion, which remains an integral part in the current-day logo of UBS.On the eve ofWorld War IIin 1939, SBC, like other Swiss banks, was the recipient of large influxes of foreign funds for safekeeping. Just prior to the outbreak of the war, SBC made the timely decision to open an office in New York City.The office, located in theEquitable Building,was able to begin operations a few weeks after the outbreak of the war and was intended as a safe place to store assets in the case of an invasion.During the war, the banks' traditional business fell off and the Swiss government became their largest client.

In 1945, SBC acquired theBasler Handelsbank(Commercial Bank of Basel), which was one of the largest banks in Switzerland, but becameinsolventby the end of the war. SBC remained among the Swiss government's leading underwriters of debt in the post-war years. SBC, which had entered the 1950s with 31 branch offices in Switzerland and three abroad, more than doubled its assets from the end of the war to CHF 4 billion by the end of the 1950s and doubled assets again in the mid-1960s, exceeding CHF 10 billion by 1965.In 1961, SBC acquiredBanque Populaire Valaisanne,based inSion, Switzerland,and theBanque Populaire de Sierre.The bank opened a full branch office in Tokyo in 1970.

TheSt. Gallen, Switzerland,offices of Swiss Bank Corporation c.1920

In 1992, SBC acquiredO'Connor & Associates,a Chicago-basedoptions tradingfirm and the largestmarket makerin the financial options exchanges in the U.S.O'Connor was combined with SBC'smoney market,capital market,andcurrency marketactivities to form a globally integrated capital markets andtreasury operation.In 1994, SBC acquiredBrinson Partners,an asset management firm focused on providing access for U.S. institutions to global markets, for US$750 million.Following the acquisition, founderGary P. Brinsonran SBC's asset management business and later when SBC merged with UBS was namedchief investment officerof UBS Asset Management.The acquisition ofS.G. Warburg & Co.,a leading British investment banking firm, in 1995 for the price of US$1.4 billion (~$2.56 billion in 2023) signified a major push into investment banking. S.G. Warburg & Co. had established a reputation as a daringmerchant bankthat grew to be one of the most respected investment banks inLondon.However, a Warburg expansion into the U.S. had turned out flawed and costly, and talks in 1994 withMorgan Stanleyabout a merger had collapsed.SBC merged the firm with its own existing investment banking unit to create SBC Warburg.

Two years later, in 1997, SBC paid US$600 million (~$1.06 billion in 2023) to acquireDillon, Read & Co.,a U.S.bulge bracketinvestment bank.Dillon, Read & Co., which traced its roots to the 1830s, was among the powerhouse firms onWall Streetin the 1920s and 1930s, and by the 1990s had a particularly strongmergers and acquisitionsadvisory group. Dillon Read had been in negotiations to sell itself toING,which owned 25% of the firm already, but Dillon Read partners balked atING's integration plans.After its acquisition by SBC, Dillon Read was merged with SBC-Warburg to create SBC-Warburg Dillon Read. Following SBC's later merger withUnion Bank of Switzerland,the SBC part was dropped from the name; in 2000 when the new UBS got restructured the Dillon Read name was dropped, although it was brought back in 2005 asDillon Read Capital Management,UBS's ill-fated hedge fund operations.

Union Bank of Switzerland

Main article:Union Bank of Switzerland

1966Union Bank of Switzerlandlogo, featuring the two acronyms of its English and French names (UBS) and its German counterpart (SBG)

The Union Bank of Switzerland emerged in 1912 when theBank in Winterthurfused with theToggenburger Bank.The Bank in Winterthur, founded in 1862 with an initialshare capitalof CHF 5 million, focused on providing financing for industry and other companies,and had profited considerably from its close railroad connections and large warehousing facilities during theAmerican Civil Warwhen cotton prices rose dramatically.The Toggenburger Bank was founded in 1863 with an initial share capital of CHF 1.5 million,and specialized as asavingsandmortgagebank for individual customers, maintaining a branch office network in eastern Switzerland.The new company was initially traded under the English nameSwiss Banking Association,but in 1921 it was changed to Union Bank of Switzerland (UBS) to mirror its French name,Union de Banques Suisses.In German, the bank was known as theSchweizerische Bankgesellschaft(SBG).

Bank in Winterthur,est. 1862

Toggenburger Bank,est. 1863

The combined bank had total assets of CHF 202 million and a totalshareholders' equityof CHF 46 million.In 1917, UBS completed the construction of a new headquarters inZurichonBahnhofstrasse,considered to be theWall Streetof Switzerland.By 1923, offices were established throughout Switzerland.Although the bank suffered in the aftermath ofWorld War Iand theGreat Depression,it was able to make several smalleracquisitions;in 1937 it established Intrag AG, anasset managementbusiness responsible forinvestment trusts,(i.e.mutual funds).

The activities of the Union Bank of Switzerland duringWorld War IIwere not publicly known until decades after the war, when it was demonstrated that UBS likely took active roles in trading stolen gold,securities,and other assets during World War II.The issue of "unclaimed property" ofHolocaustvictims became a major issue for UBS in the mid-1990s, and a series of revelations in 1997 brought the issue to the forefront of national attention in 1996 and 1997.UBS confirmed that a large number of accounts had gone unclaimed as a result of the bank's policy of requiring death certificates from family members to claim the contents of the account.UBS's handling of these revelations were largely criticized and the bank received significant negative attention in the U.S.UBS came under significant pressure, particularly from American politicians, to compensate Holocaust survivors who were making claims against the bank.

In 1917, the Union Bank of Switzerland opened a new headquarters onBahnhofstrasse(pictured above) in Zürich.

Shortly after the end of World War II, Union Bank of Switzerland completed theacquisitionof theEidgenössische Bank,a large Zürich-based bank that becameinsolvent.As a result of the merger, Union Bank of Switzerland exceeded CHF 1 billion in assets and moved its operations to Zürich. UBS opened branches and acquired a series of banks in Switzerland in the following years, growing from 31 offices in 1950 to 81 offices by the early 1960s.In 1960, Union Bank of Switzerland acquired an 80% stake in Argor SA, a Swiss precious metals refinery founded in 1951 in thecanton of Ticino.UBS continues to issue gold bars via Argor-Heraeus which is famous for the uniquekinebarholographic technology it uses to provide enhanced protection against bank gold barcounterfeiting.By 1962, Union Bank of Switzerland reached CHF 6.96 billion of assets, narrowly edging ahead ofSwiss Bank Corporationto become the largest bank in Switzerland.The rapid growth was punctuated by the 1967 acquisition ofInterhandel,which made UBS one of the strongest banks in Europe.

By the 1980s, Union Bank of Switzerland established a position as a leading European underwriter ofEurobonds.Following two major acquisitions in 1986 (Phillips & DrewandDeutsche Länderbank), UBS made its first purchase in the United States in 1991 with Chase Investors Management Corporation, theasset managementbusiness ofChase Manhattan Bank.At the time of the acquisition, the business managed in excess of US$30 billion in assets.The bank's investments had been in the conservative asset management andlife insurancebusinesses; further, 60% of the bank's profits came from its even more conservative Swiss banking operations.In 1993,Credit Suisseoutbid Union Bank of Switzerland for Switzerland'sSwiss Volksbank,the fifth largest bank in Switzerland which had run into financial difficulties in the early 1990s.The acquisition propelled Credit Suisse ahead of Union Bank of Switzerland as the largest bank in Switzerland for the first time. Prior to the merger with Swiss Bank Corporation, UBS purchased a group of smaller Swiss banks in 1994 including the Cantonal Bank of Appenzell-Ausserrhoden in 1996,and in 1997Schröder, Münchmeyer, Hengst & Co.fromLloyds Bankwas acquired to improve access to the German investment banking and private wealth management markets.

Merger of Union Bank of Switzerland and Swiss Bank Corporation: 1998

After the two banks merged, they became known solely as "UBS" while retaining theSwiss Bank Corporation's "three keys" icon.

During the mid-1990s, Union Bank of Switzerland came under fire from dissident shareholders critical of its conservative management and lower return on equity.Martin Ebner, through his investment trust, BK Vision, became the largest shareholder in Union Bank of Switzerland and attempted to force a major restructuring of the bank's operations.Looking to take advantage of the situation,Credit Suisseapproached Union Bank of Switzerland about a merger that would have created the second largest bank in the world in 1996.Union Bank of Switzerland's management and board unanimously rebuffed the proposed merger.Ebner, who supported the idea of a merger, led a shareholder revolt that resulted in the replacement of Union Bank of Switzerland's chairman, Robert Studer with Mathis Cabiallavetta, one of the key architects of the merger withSwiss Bank Corporation.

On 8 December 1997, Union Bank of Switzerland andSwiss Bank Corporationannounced an all-stock merger. At the time of the merger, Union Bank of Switzerland and Swiss Bank Corporation were the second and third largest banks in Switzerland, respectively.Discussions between the two banks had begun several months earlier, less than a year after rebuffing Credit Suisse's merger overtures.The merger resulted in the creation of UBS AG, a new bank with total assets of more than US$590 billion (~$1.04 trillion in 2023), the largest of its kind.During the merger, UBS chairmanMarcel Ospeloriginally wanted to call the company "United Bank of Switzerland", but settled on simply using "UBS" following the acquisition of American brokerage firm,Paine Webber.

Colloquially referred to as the "New UBS" to distinguish itself from the former Union Bank of Switzerland, the combined bank became the second largest in the world at the time, behind only theBank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi.Additionally, the merger pulled together the banks' various asset management businesses to create the world's largest money manager, with approximately US$910 billion inassets under management.Union Bank of Switzerland's Mathis Cabiallavetta became chairman of the new bank while Swiss Bank'sMarcel Ospelwas namedchief executive officer.Nearly 80% of the top management positions were filled by legacy Swiss Bank professionals.Prior to the merger,Swiss Bank Corporationwas considered to be further along than Union Bank of Switzerland in developing its international investment banking business, particularly in the higher margin advisory businesses whereWarburg Dillon Readwas considered to be the more established platform.Union Bank of Switzerland had a stronger retail and commercial banking business in Switzerland, while both banks had strong asset management capabilities.After the merger was completed, it was speculated that a series of losses suffered by UBS on itsequity derivativepositions in late 1997 was a contributing factor in pushing UBS management to consummate the merger.

Paine Webber and international expansion: 2000–2006

UBS PaineWebber logo in use from 2001 until 2003 when the use of thePaine Webberbrand was dropped

UBS Warburg was the brand used for the Investment Banking division of UBS from 1999 to 2003.

On 3 November 2000, UBS merged withPaine Webber,an Americanstock brokerageand asset management firm led by chairman and CEODonald Marron.At the time of its merger with UBS, Paine Webber had emerged as the fourth largest private client firm in the United States with 385 offices employing 8,554brokers.The acquisition pushed UBS to the top wealth and asset management firm in the world. Initially, the business was given the divisional nameUBS PaineWebberbut in 2003 the 123-year-old name Paine Webber disappeared when it was renamedUBS Wealth Management USA.UBS took a CHF 1 billion write-down for the loss ofgoodwillassociated with the retirement of thePaine Webberbrand when it integrated its brands under the unified UBS name in 2003.

John P. Costas,a former bond trader and co-head ofFixed incomeatCredit Suisse First Bostonand head of Fixed Income Trading at Union Bank of Switzerland in 1998, was appointed CEO of UBS's investment banking division, which originated in SBC's Warburg Dillon Read division and was renamed UBS Warburg in December 2001.In an attempt to break into the elitebulge bracketof investment banks, in which UBS then had little success while rivalCredit Suissewas establishing itself as a major player onWall Streetwith the acquisition ofDonaldson, Lufkin & Jenrettein 2000, Costas shifted the growth strategy from acquiring entire firms to hiring individual investment bankers or teams of bankers from rival firms.Costas had followed a similar approach in building out the UBS fixed income business, hiring over 500 sales and trading personnel and increasingrevenuesfrom US$300 million in 1998 to over US$3 billion by 2001.

UBS Financial Services (left) inFrankfurt,2012

The arrival of formerDrexel Burnham Lambertinvestment bankerKen Moelismarked a major coup for Costas. Moelis joined UBS fromDonaldson Lufkin & Jenrettein 2001 shortly after its acquisition byCredit Suisse First Boston(althoughHuw Jenkinsclaimed he had hired Moelis to the UK Parliamentary Banking commission while under oath, which is patently false). In his six years at UBS, Moelis ultimately assumed the role of president ofUBS Investment Bankand was credited, along with Costas, with the build-out of UBS's investment banking operation in the United States.Within weeks of joining, Moelis brought over a team of 70 bankers from Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette.Costas and Moelis hired more than 30 senior U.S. bankers from 2001 through 2004.It was estimated that UBS spent as much as US$600 million to US$700 million hiring top bankers in the U.S. during this three-year period.Among the bank's other major recruits during this period wereOlivier Sarkozy,Ben Lorello,Blair Effron,and Jeff McDermott.By 2003, UBS had risen to fourth place from seventh in global investment banking fees, earning US$2.1 billion of the US$39 billion paid to investment banks that year, increasing 33%.Over the next four years, UBS consistently ranked in the top 4 in the global fee pool and established a track record of 20 consecutive quarters of rising profits.

In 2006, UBS set up a joint venture in China (seeUBS Securities, China branch). However, by the end of 2006, UBS began to experience changing fortunes. In late 2005, Costas headed a newhedge fundunit within UBS known asDillon Read Capital Management.His former position was taken over byHuw Jenkins,a long-time legacy UBS investment banker.In 2006, UBS bankersBlair Effronand Michael Martin announced their departures.In March 2007, Moelis announced that he was leaving the company, and shortly thereafter founded a new business,Moelis & Company.As he had when joining UBS, Moelis took a large team of senior UBS investment bankers.Moelis's departure was caused primarily by repeated conflict over the availability of capital from the bank'sbalance sheetto pursue largetransactions,particularlyleveraged buyouts.The bank's apparent conservatism would be turned on its head when large losses were reported in various mortgage securities rather than corporate loans that generated investment banking fees. After Moelis, other notable departures included investment banking co-head Jeff McDermott in early 2007 and, as the financial crisis set in, other high-profile bankers such asOliver Sarkozyin early 2008 and Ben Lorello in 2009.

UBS building onAvenue of the AmericasinMidtown Manhattan

UBS was fined $100 million by theFEDin 2004 for trading indollarswithIranand other sanctioned countries.

Subprime mortgage crisis and recovery: 2007–2009

At the beginning of 2007, UBS became the firstWall Streetfirm to announce a heavy loss in thesubprime mortgagesector as thesubprime mortgage crisisbegan to develop.In May 2007, UBS announced the closure of itsDillon Read Capital Management(DRCM) division.Although in 2006, DCRM had generated a profit for the bank of US$720 million, after UBS took over DRCM's positions in May 2007, losses grew from the US$124 million recorded by DRCM, ultimately to "16% of the US$19 billion in losses UBS recorded." The UBS investment bank continued to expandsubprimerisk in the second quarter of 2007 while most market participants were reducing risk,resulting in not only expanding DRCM losses but creating 84% of the other losses experienced by the bank.

In response to the growing series of problems at UBS, and possibly his role in spearheading Costas' departure from the bank,Peter Wuffliunexpectedly stepped down as CEO of the firm during the second quarter of 2007.Wuffli would be joined by many of his fellow managers in the next year, most notably the bank's chairmanMarcel Ospel.However, the bank's problems continued through the end of 2007,when the bank reported its first quarterly loss in over five years.As its lossesjeopardizedthe bank's capital position, UBS quickly raised US$11.5 billion of capital in December 2007, US$9.7 billion of which came from theGovernment of Singapore Investment Corporation(GIC)and US$1.8 billion from an unnamed Middle Eastern investor.

Protestors outside of UBS'sZürichheadquarters, 2009

After a significant expansion offixed incomerisk during 2006 and 2007 under the leadership ofHuw Jenkins,the UBS Investment Bank CEO,the bank's losses continued to mount in 2008 when UBS announced in April 2008 that it was writing down a further US$19 billion of investments insubprimeand other mortgage assets.

By this point, UBS's total losses in the mortgage market were in excess of US$37 billion, the largest such losses of any of its peers.In response to its losses, UBS announced a CHF 15 billionrights offeringto raise the additional funds need to shore up its depleted reserves of capital. UBS cut itsdividendto protect its traditionally highTier 1 capitalratio, seen by investors as a key to its credibility as the world's largest wealth management company.In October 2008, UBS announced that it had placed CHF 6 billion of new capital, through mandatory convertible notes, withSwiss Confederation.TheSwiss National Bankand UBS made an agreement to transfer approximately US$60 billion of currently illiquid securities and various assets from UBS to a separate fund entity.In November 2008, UBS put US$6 billion (~$8.34 billion in 2023) of equity into the new "bad bank" entity, keeping only an option to benefit if the value of its assets were to recover. Heralded as a "neat" package byThe New York Times,the UBS structure guaranteed clarity for UBS investors by making an outright sale.UBS announced in February 2009 that it had lost nearly CHF 20 billion (US$17.2 billion) in 2008, the biggest single-year loss of any company in Swiss history.Since the beginning of the financial crisis in 2007, UBS has written down more than US$50 billion (~$70.8 billion in 2023) from subprime mortgage investments and cut more than 11,000 jobs. By the spring of 2009, UBS announced another management restructuring and initiated a plan to return to profitability.Jerker Johansson,the head of the investment bank division, resigned in April 2009 and was replaced byAlex Wilmot-SitwellandCarsten Kengeter.At the same time, UBS announced the planned cut of 8,700 jobsand had implemented a new compensation plan. Under the plan, no more than one-third of any cash bonus would be paid out in the year it is earned with the rest to be held in reserve and stock-based incentives that would vest after three years. In April 2009, UBS announced that it agreed to sell its Brazilian financial services business,UBS Pactual,for approximately US$2.5 billion (~$3.45 billion in 2023) to BTG Investments.

UBS world headquarters in Zürich'sParadeplatz

The Swiss government sold its CHF 6 billion stake in UBS in late 2008 at a large profit; Switzerland had purchased convertible notes in 2008 to help UBS clear its balance sheets of toxic assets.Taking advantage of improved conditions in the stock market in mid-2009, UBS placed US$3.5 billion of shares with a small number of largeinstitutional investors.Oswald Grübelannounced, "We are building a new UBS, one that performs to the highest standards and behaves with integrity and honesty; one that distinguishes itself not only through the clarity and reliability of the advice and services it provides but in how it manages and executes."Grübel reiterated plans to maintain an integrated business model of providing wealth management advisory, investment banking, and asset management services.

Shift to private banking and market reemergence: 2010–2022

In August 2010, UBS launched a new advertising campaign featuring the slogan: "We will not rest" and signed a global sponsorship agreement withFormula 1.On 26 October 2010, UBS announced that its private bank recorded net new funds of CHF 900 million during the third quarter, compared to an outflow of CHF 5.5 billion in second quarter.UBS's third quarter net profit of US$1.65 billion (~$2.25 billion in 2023) beat analyst estimates, continuing a string of profitability. After the elimination of almost 5,000 jobs, UBS announced on 23 August 2011 that it was further cutting another 3,500 positions to "improve operating efficiency" and save CHF 1.5 to CHF 2 billion a year. 45 percent of the job cuts would come from the investment banking unit, which continued to post dismal figures since the 2008 financial crisis, while the rest would come from the wealth management and asset management divisions. The firm has seen profits fall due to the rise of the Swiss franc.

On 15 September 2011, UBS became aware of a massive loss, originally estimated at US$2 billion (~$2.67 billion in 2023), allegedly due to unauthorized trading byKweku Adoboli,a then 31-year-old Ghanaian trader on theDelta Onedesk of the firm's investment bank.Adoboli was arrested and later charged with fraud by abuse of position and false accounting dating as far back as 2008. UBS's actual losses were subsequently confirmed as US$2.3 billion, and according to the prosecutor in Adoboli's trial he "was a gamble or two from destroying Switzerland's largest bank for his own benefit."On 24 September 2011 UBS announced chief executiveOswald Grübel's resignation, and the appointment ofSergio Ermottias his replacement on an interim basis.

A UBS retail bank for private wealth management inSt. Gallen,Switzerland

On 30 October 2012, UBS announced that it was cutting 10,000 jobs worldwide in an effort to slim down its investment banking operations, of which 2,500 would be inSwitzerland,followed by theUnited StatesandGreat Britain.This 15-percent staff cut would make overall staff count come down from 63,745 to 54,000. (For comparison, the peak employment level in 2007 before the 2008 financial crisis was 83,500).UBS also announced that the investment bank would focus on its traditional strengths and exit much of its fixed income trading business that was not economically profitable. On 19 December 2012, UBS was fined $1.5 billion (~$1.97 billion in 2023) for its role in theLibor scandalover accusations that it tried to rig benchmark interest rates.In November 2014, regulators including the FCA and CFTC hit UBS with fines, along with other banks, forcurrency manipulation.On 6 January 2014, it was reported that UBS had become the largest private banker in the world, with $1.7 (~$2.16 trillion in 2023) trillion in assets.In May 2015, media reports revealed UBS is planning to sell itsAustralianprivate banking division to some of its management after a review of underperforming businesses was conducted at the company.

In late 2016, the bank created thedigital currency"Utility Settlement Coin" (USC) to accelerateinter-bank settlementsand established ablockchain technologyresearch laboratory inLondon.From 2012 to 2018, the investment bank, led byAndrea Orcel,initiated a majorrestructuring,firing over 10,000 employees and focusing on Europeanunderwritingbusiness instead of traditional dealmaking.UBS announced in January 2018 that it does not trade or expose clients tocryptocurrenciesas it believes they have little to noelasticity,and arespeculatively valued.It partnered with technology companyIBMto launch a blockchaintrade financeplatform called "Batavia" in early 2018.

In April 2021, UBS reported a $774 million (~$859 million in 2023) loss from the collapse of US investment fundArchegos Capital Management.

In July 2021, during theCOVID-19 pandemic,UBS announced it would continue to allow forflextimeandremote workby many employees, noting that they did not impede productivity.The announcement distinguished the bank from its competitors, such asMorgan StanleyandGoldman Sachs,which pressured on employees to return to the office asCOVID-19 lockdownsand measures eased.

In January 2022, UBS agreed to acquireWealthfrontfor $1.4 billion.UBS expects to accelerate its growth in the US with the purchase, and will operate Wealthfront as a business within UBS Global Wealth Management.The acquisition was mutually terminated in September 2022 with both companies not providing a reason.UBS announced that it would instead invest in a $69.7million note convertible into Wealthfront shares, valuing the latter at its acquisition price.

In November 2022, Fang Xinghai, vice chairman of theChina Securities Regulatory Commission,made remarks by prerecorded video to theGlobal Financial Leaders' Investment Summit.In it, he warned investors to not read too much foreign news (international media) about China, and said that some international investors read "too much" of it.Later at the Summit,Colm Kellehersaid, regarding global bankers, that "we're all very pro-China," and in reference to Fang's comments, said "We're not reading the American press, we actually buy the [China] story."

Acquisition of Credit Suisse: 2023

Main article:Acquisition of Credit Suisse by UBS

In March 2023, UBS agreed to buyCredit Suisse,one of its main competitors, for $3.25 billion (CHF 3 billion), in an emergency rescue deal.On 29 March 2023 it was announced that Sergio Ermotti is returning as chief executive officer from 5 April 2023, replacing Ralph Hamers after just over two years in charge, after approval by 5 April 2023 annual general meeting.Hamers is expected to stay with the bank for a transition period.UBS completed the acquisition on 12 June 2023.

On 28 June, it became known that UBS plans to lay off more than half of Credit Suisse's employees. First of all, the reduction will affect traders and support staff in London, New York and some Asian divisions. Prior to the takeover, Credit Suisse employed about 45,000 people.

In July 2023, UBS was fined $269 million by the Federal Reserve and $119 million by theBank of Englandfor Credit Suisse's failure in risk management related to Archegos's collapse.In August 2023, UBS settled with theUS Justice Departmentby agreeing to pay $1.43 billion in civil penalties regarding allegations of fraud and misconduct in itsresidential mortgage-backed securitiesofferings it offered in 2006 and 2007.

According toCitigroup,the new bank will account for 35% of domestic deposits, 31% of corporate loans and 26% of mortgages in Switzerland.UBS will keep the Swiss business of Credit Suisse but will retire its brand. UBS says it plans to cut costs by $10 billion. UBS also announced at the end of August 2023 that money outflows have stopped at Credit Suisse.

In early September 2023, UBS had clearly profited from the takeover as its stocks were increasingly valuable. From April to July, UBS made a record profit of 29.2 billion CHF and its stocks, which were initially depressed after the fusion, were traded at much higher prices. The record profit was based on the difference between the purchase price of Credit Suisse stocks and the apparently higher value of its assets.

In September 2023, theUS Department of Justice(DOJ) started investigating UBS for Credit Suisse's alleged compliance failures which enabled its Russian clients to dodge sanctions.Later UBS stated that the bank is not aware of such a probe by the DOJ and that previous reports on such allegations were incorrect.

Acquisition history

As it exists today, UBS represents a conglomeration of dozens of individual firms, many of which date back to the 19th century. Over the years, these firms merged to form the bank's three major predecessors,Union Bank of Switzerland,Swiss Bank Corporation,ICO Markets Exchange Clearing LimitedandPaine Webber.The following is a visual illustration of the company's majormergers and acquisitionsand historical predecessors, although this is not necessarily a comprehensive list:

(Formed 1998 from merger of Union Bank of Switzerld & Swiss Bank Corp.)

Union Bank of Switzerland (Merged in 1998 with Swiss Bank Corporation) Union Bank of Switzerland (originally Swiss Banking Association, merged 1912) Bank in Winterthur (est. 1862) Toggenburger Bank (est. 1863) Aargauische Kreditanstalt (merged 1915, acq. 1919) Aargauische Kreditanstalt (est. 1872) Bank in Baden (est. 1863) Eidgenössische Bank (est. 1863, acq. 1945) Interhandel (est. 1928, acq. 1967) Phillips & Drew (est. 1895 as G.A. Phillips & Co., acq. 1986) Chase Investors Management Corporation (est. 1972 as subsidiary) Schröder Brothers & Co. (est. 1846) Münchmeyer & Co. (est. 1855) Frederick Hengst & Co. Swiss Bank Corporation (Merged in 1998 with Union Bank of Switzerland) Swiss Bank Corporation (merged 1897) Basler & Zürcher Bankverein (est. 1880) Basler Bankverein (est. 1856 as Bankverein, renamed in 1872) Zürcher Bankverein (est. 1889) Basler Depositenbank (est. 1882) Schweiz Unionbank (est. 1889) Basler Handelsbank (est. 1862, acq. 1945) O'Connor & Associates (est. 1977, acq. 1992) Brinson Partners (est. 1989, acq. 1994) Warburg Dillon Read (merged 1997 under SBC ownership) S. G. Warburg & Co. (est. 1946, acq. 1995) Dillon, Read & Co. (est. 1832, acq. 1997) Paine Webber (consolidated 3 subsidiaries in 1984; merged in 2000 with UBS) Paine, Webber, Jackson & Curtis (merged 1942) Paine & Webber (est. 1880) Jackson & Curtis (est. 1879) Mitchell Hutchins (est. 1938, acq. 1975) Blyth, Eastman Dillon & Co. (merged 1972, acq. 1979) Blyth & Co. est. 1914 asBlyth, Witter & Co. Eastman Dillon Union Securities & Co. (merged 1956) Union Securities est. 1939 as spin-off fromJ. & W. Seligman & Co. Eastman Dillon & Co. (est. 1912) Kidder, Peabody & Co. (est. 1864, acq. 1995) J.C. Bradford & Co. (est. 1928, acq. 2000) ICO Markets Exchange Clearing Limited (est. 2021, acq. as a shareholder 2021) Credit Suisse (acquired in 2023) First Boston (est. 1932, acq. 1988)

Corporate governance

Senior leadership

• Chairman:Colm Kelleher(since April 2022)
• Chief Executive:Sergio Ermotti(since April 2023); second term

List of former chairmen

1. Mathis Cabiallavetta (1998)
2. Alex Krauer (1998–2001)
3. Marcel Ospel(2001–2008)
4. Peter Kurer(2008–2009)
5. Kaspar Villiger(2009–2012)
6. Axel Weber(2012–2022)

List of former chief executives

1. Marcel Ospel(1998–2001)
2. Peter Wuffli(2001–2007)
3. Marcel Rohner(2007–2009)
4. Oswald Grübel(2009–2011)
5. Sergio Ermotti(2011–2020)
6. Ralph Hamers(2020–2023)

Shareholders

UBS Europe SE Headquarters inFrankfurt am Main,Germany

As disclosed under the Swiss Stock exchange Act, the most significant shareholders of UBS areGIC Private Limitedwith 7.07%,BlackRock Incwith 4.98%,Norges Bankwith 3.30%,MFS Investment Managementwith 3.05% andCapital Group Companieswith 3.01% of total share capital.In 2008 during thesubprime mortgage crisis,GIC Private Limitedinvested CHF 11 billion into UBS to help bail it out, thus becoming the largest single shareholder.

Additionally, the UBS Group AG disclosed shareholders registered in their share register with 3% or more of shares issued. As of 30 September 2017, these are Chase Nominees Ltd, DTC (Cede & Co.) and Nortrust Nominees Ltd with 10.32%, 6.63% and 4.04% of total share capital respectively.

As of 30 June 2019, shareholdings of the Group were distributed as follows:

	Shareholders registered		Shares registered
	amount	%	amount	%
Individual shareholders	220,172	97.8	490,593,639	12.7
Legal entities	4,665	2.1	543,626,690	14.1
Nominees, fiduciaries	217	0.1	1,165,313,198	30.2
Total	225,054	100.0	3,859,055,395	100.0

Banking secrecy

UBS frequently citesSwiss culture—specifically its penchant for privacy,security and neutrality—as foundational to its company culture.Althoughbanking secrecy started in the 1700s,Switzerland drafted a series of banking regulations and statutes in the late 1800s and 1930s to protect and secure banks within its borders.The most prominent was theFederal Act on Banks and Savings Banks,known simply as the "Banking Law of 1934".The federal law prohibits and criminalizes the distribution and release of client information to third parties.The bill was passed by theSwiss Federal Assemblyto combat the seizure of client assets and information forreasons debated by historians.UBS, then known as theSwiss Bank Corporation,received large influxes of capital fromEuropefor safe keeping during the war.More thantwo dozen Swiss banking statuteswere drafted from 1934 to 2008 to strengthen banking secrecy at UBS Switzerland AG.In 2018, Switzerland, alongside major Swiss banks including UBS, was ranked first on theFinancial Secrecy Index.UBS was the largest wealth manager in 23 of the top 25 countries on the 2018 Financial Secrecy Index.

While UBS maintains the strictest banking secrecy policies in Switzerland, its policies across Europe and especially theUnited Statesare comparable.Within the U.S., the bank is prohibited from disclosing client activities and information both internally and through regulation imposed by theFinancial Industry Regulatory Authority(FINRA),Federal Reserve,Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation(FDIC),U.S. Treasury,Securities and Exchange Commission(SEC), and various U.S. state regulators.UBS employees are prohibited from discussing client activity or information publicly, sharing information across borders, retaining client information insecurely and required to maintain robust bank-client confidentiality agreements.In 2018, UBS operations within the U.S. were ranked second on the Financial Secrecy Index, following UBS Switzerland AG.Within theEuropean Union(E.U.), UBS operations maintain similar banking secrecy policies to Switzerland in the following countries and crown dependencies:Jersey,Austria,Luxembourg,Liechtenstein,Monaco,and theIsle of Man.Substantial, albeit greatly reduced, banking secrecy provisions are afforded to UBS operations inFrance,Germany,Ireland,and theNetherlands.

Hidden assets

UBS, along with other Swiss banks, maintains a variety ofhidden assetsandnumbered bank accountsin an effort to preserve anonymity and confidentiality.Despite its name, hidden accounts are not truly hidden.The usage of these types of accounts (and assets) limits the knowledge of the account between the client and a restricted number of private bankers who retain record of who the account belongs to.

In January 1997,Christoph Meili,a night guard at the Union Bank of Switzerland (precursor of UBS) inZürich,publicly announced that bank officials were destroying documents about orphaned assets, believed to be the credit balances of both Nazi German and Jewish clients attained duringWorld War II.Soon after, Zurich authorities opened a judicial investigation against Meili for suspected violations of the Swiss laws on banking secrecy.After aUS$2.56 billion lawsuit was filed against UBS and other Swiss banks on behalf of theJewish victims of the Holocaust,a settlement was reached that totalled US$1.25 billion in August 1998.

An entrance to a UBS Wealth Management office inMilan, Italy.With astrike-plateddoor andfrosted glass,its purpose is to provide security and banking discretion.

TheSwiss governmenthas taken steps to curb the usage of hidden services by foreign account holders as they have been frequently used to facilitate the transfer of "black money".In May 2013, Switzerland announced that it would amend certain banking secrecy laws applicable to UBS Switzerland AG to allow the disclosure of hidden client accounts to various investigative authorities.However, the disclosure of such information is heavily regulated and only "occur exclusively within the scope of administrative assistance procedures based on a valid double taxation agreement."

Bank vaults and bunkers

UBS, along with other Swiss banks, owns and operates undisclosed or otherwise secretive bank vaults, storage facilities orunderground bunkersfor gold bars, diamonds, cash, or other valuable physical assets.The geographical location of these facilities are undisclosed to the public but are known to be present in the mountainous regions of theSwiss Alps.These facilities are not subject to thesame banking regulationsasbanks in Switzerlandand do not have to report holdings to regulatory agencies.According to theSwiss Armed Forces,UBS purchased four formermilitary bunkersto convert into storage facilities throughout the 1980s and 1990s.Three of these bunkers are not accessible by road or foot and require aircraft transportation.The transfer of assets to these bunkers is selective as a multi-stage security clearance is required and is not available to all UBS clients.In special circumstances, UBS contracts smaller banks inSouthern Switzerlandto maintain company assets.

The largest disclosed Swiss bank vault is five floors (19 metres or 62 feet) under the bank'sGenevaheadquarters.In July 2013, UBS established a gold storage facility and depository inSingaporefor high net worth and ultra high net worth clients in theirHong Kong,China,andMalaysiamarkets who are willing to pay high fees and commissions for the highest level of secrecy and safety for their assets.

Tax evasion

Main article:UBS tax evasion controversies

The strict banking secrecy policies and bank-clientconfidentiality agreementsat UBS have frequently been used to avoid, evade or otherwiseescape foreign direct taxation.UBS reachedmultilateral agreementswith the U.S.Internal Revenue Service(IRS) and U.K.HM Revenue and Customsin 2009 and 2010, respectively.These agreements ensured a line of communication between the tax agencies and all registered Swiss banks.The most commonly used stipulation triggered by select UBS Switzerland AG clients regardthe following statute:Swiss banks are only allowed to disclose client information if a client islegally chargedwith proof of deliberatefinancial fraud,not merely thenon-reporting of assetsto avoid taxation.

The banking privacy policies of UBS have led to numerous controversies and disagreements with foreign governments:

The French supreme court,Cour de Cassation,ruled against UBS intheir 2014 appeal of tax evasion.

• In 2007,Bradley Birkenfeld,a Geneva-based employee who worked in the bank's North American wealth management business, claimed that UBS's dealings with American clients violated an agreement between the bank and the U.S.Internal Revenue Service.He subsequently complained to UBS compliance officials about the bank's "unfair and deceptive business practices", which included sponsoring events like yacht races and art festivals in the United States to attract wealthy people as potential clients.UBS was charged by the U.S.Federal Bureau of Investigationand ordered it to cease providing cross-border private banking services to US-domiciled clients through its non-US regulated units as of July 2008.
• In 2012, theGerman governmentsaw to it that UBS Deutschland AG came under investigation by prosecutors inMannheim,Germany, after a tax probe revealed suspicious funds transfers from Germany to Switzerland allegedly facilitated by the bank'sFrankfurtoffice.UBS Deutschland's Frankfurt office was raided by tax investigators in May 2012, and over 100,000 computer files and records were seized for evidence. The bank, which claims it is cooperating with the investigators, said that "an internal investigation into the specific allegations has not identified any evidence of misbehaviour by UBS Deutschland AG."
• In 2014, theFrench governmentlaunched an investigation into UBS France's alleged abetting of tax evasion by French taxpayers.The investigation estimated the amount of tax income lost to UBS-controlled offshore accounts at €600 billion.In July 2014, the bank was required to post a bond of 1.1 billion euros, which UBS complied with while making multiple appeals in the French court system, finally losing its appeal at theCour de Cassation,France's highest court.That same year, UBS accused the French government of engaging in a "highly politicized process" in its investigation of the bank.

In December 2021, UBS was criminally convicted by an appeals court inFrancefor "illegal banking activities",money launderingand "aggravatedtax fraud"and fined €1.8 billion.UBS has said it is appealing that decision.

Corporate social responsibility

In January 2010, UBS issued a new code of conduct andbusiness ethicswhich all employees were encouraged to sign. The code addressed issues such asfinancial crime,competition,confidentiality,as well ashuman rightsandenvironmental issues.The eight-page code also lays out potential sanctions against employees who violate it, including warnings,demotions,ordismissal.According toKaspar Villiger,former chairman of the board, andOswald J. Grübel,former Group CEO, the code is "an integral part of changing the way UBS conducts business".

In 2011, UBS expanded its global compliance database to include information on environmental and social issues provided byRepRisk,a global research firm specialized in environmental, social and corporate governance (e.g.,ESG) risk analytics and metrics.This was done in an effort to mitigate environmental and social risks that could impact the bank's reputation or financial performance and to simultaneously help globally standardize and systematically implement the firm'sdue diligenceprocesses.RepRisk data is used in the on-boarding process to screen potential new clients and sourcing partners,alongside periodic client reviews and, also, to evaluate the risks related to transactions in investment banking and institutional lending.

In 2018, UBS held 0.72% of shares in HikVision(surveillance cameras), a subsidiary of the Chinese military conglomerate CETC.

In October 2019, UBS joined UN's Global Investors for Sustainable Development Alliance (GISD).UBS has committed to raise US$5 billion (~$5.55 billion in 2023) of SDG-related impact investments by the end of 2021, which aim to create a measurable positive social or environmental impact.

Research and development

Blockchain

UBS has been an early adopter regarding the use ofblockchain technologyin financial services. In April 2015, UBS opened an innovation lab at the Level39 technology accelerator space in London.

In August 2016, UBS announced that it will team up withBNY Mellon,Deutsche Bank,Banco Santander,brokerage company ICAP and thefintechcompany Clearmatics, to promote UBS's "Utility Settlement Coin" (USC). The USC is a blockchain-based digital currency that financial institutions could use to transact securities with each other, bypassing the traditional settlement processes which is ongoing.

IMECL

In 2021, UBS buys 31%ICO Markets Exchange Clearing Limited,Digital Asset Exchange,Regulator Company in the European Digital Asset Marketwhich financial institutions and private clients they will use to trade securities among themselves, bypassing the traditional ongoing settlement processes.

Artificial intelligence

In 2018, UBS digitally cloned Daniel Kalt, one of its chief economists.Artificial intelligenceexpert FaceMe was hired to create an interactiveavatarof Kalt that can meet with clients via television screen. The clients will be able to ask questions and receive answers, made possible byIBM'sWatsonAI technology.

Recognition

In 2006, for the fourth consecutive year, UBS was named one of the 100 Best Companies for Working Mothers living in the U.S. byWorking Mothermagazine.It is a member of theStonewallDiversity Championsschemeand has active gay and lesbian, ethnic minority, and women's networking groups. UBS was included onBusiness Week'sThe Best Places to Launch a Career 2008,and ranked No. 96 out of the 119 total companies listed.On 2 February 2010, UBS topped the charts for the ninth year in a row in Institutional Investor's annual ranking of Europe's most highly regarded equity analysts. In a year of extremes for equity markets, money managers say that no firm did a better job than UBS to keep them informed about which European sectors, countries, and industries offered the greatest potential.On 4 May 2010, UBS Investment Bank was voted the leading pan-Europeanbrokerage firmfor equity and equity linked research for a record tenth successive year. AThomson ReutersExtel survey ranked UBS number one in all three of the key disciplines of research: Research (tenth year); Sales (ninth year running); and Equity Trading and Execution (up from second place in 2009). UBS was also named as the number one leading pan-European brokerage firm for economics and strategy research.

On 31 October 2013, UBS Wealth Management was voted theBest Global Private BankbyProfessional Wealth Management,retaining the title in 2014 while also being recognized as theBest Private Bank for Philanthropy Services,andBest Global Brand in Private Banking.On 27 October 2016, for the 4th consecutive year, UBS Wealth Management won theBest Global Private Banktitle, as well as theBest Private Bank in Asia awardfor the 5th consecutive year.UBS won the top prize again in 2018.

In 2014, the Group receivedEuromoney's Awards for Excellence 2014 as theBest global bank,and as theBest Bank in Switzerland.In 2017, UBS not only retained its leading position taken in 2016 in the main categorybest private banking services overallat theEuromoney'sPrivate Banking Awards,but also received recognition asWestern Europe's best bank for advisory 2017.

In 2018, for the third consecutive year, RobecoSAM, an organization specialized exclusively on Sustainability Investing and conducting extensive research,named UBS in its Industry group leader report 2018 for each of the industry groups represented in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index the group leaderinDiversified Financials.The report highlighted Group's sustainability efforts directed through its UBS and Society program: a cross-divisional platform involving activities and capabilities in sustainable investing and philanthropy, environmental and human rights policies, UBS's own environmental footprint, as well as the community investment.The Group also received recognition fromGlobal Financewhich rates financial services providers that best meet the specialized needs of corporations on a global level. The selection criteria are focused less on the size, but rather on qualities that companies look for when choosing a provider.UBS was named in the categoryGlobal WinnersasBest Private Bank in the World2017,and in the list of global best banks 2017, the Group received the award asGlobal Winnerin the categoryWorld's Best Investment Banks 2017.

In 2019, UBS was listed as one of the Top 50 World's Most Attractive Employers Global Business Ranking 2019 by Universum Global Survey.

Sponsorship

Sports

UBS is particularly active in sponsoring variousgolf tournaments,cross-country skiingin Switzerland,ice hockey,and a range of other events around the world. UBS was the sponsor of theAlinghisailing ship, winner of theAmericas Cupin 2003. UBS has been or currently is asponsorof the following sporting events and organizations:

• Alinghi
• Arnold Palmer Invitational
• Athletissima
• Automobile Club de Monaco
• Faldo Series Asia
• Formula One

• Greifenseelauf
• Hahnenkamm Races
• Hong Kong Rugby Football Union
• New York Islanders
• Olympic Museum Lausanne
• The Players Championship
• Sierre-Zinal Mountain Race

• Spengler Cup Davos
• Swiss Athletics Federation
• UBS Arena,Elmont, NY
• UBS Hong Kong Open
• UBS Japan Golf Tour Championship
• UBS Kids Cup
• Weltklasse Zürich

Culture

UBS's cultural sponsorships are typically related to classical music and contemporary art, although the company also sponsors a range offilm festivals,music festivals,and other cultural events and organizations. UBS supported theGuggenheim UBS MAP Global Art Initiativein which theSolomon R. Guggenheim Foundationidentified and worked with artists, curators and educators fromSouthandSoutheast Asia,Latin America,and theMiddle EastandNorth Africato expand their reach in the international art world and challenge the Western-centric view ofart history.UBS has previously been or currently is a sponsor of the following cultural events and organizations:

• Art Basel
• Art Basel Miami Beach
• Art Gallery NSW
• Ballett Zürich
• Basel Sinfonietta
• Beijing Music Festival
• Boston Symphony Orchestra
• Bregenz Festival
• Casals Festival
• Cy Twombly exhibition
• Deichtorhallen
• Fondation Beyeler

• Fondation Pierre Gianadda
• Fresh Paint Contemporary Art Fair, Tel Aviv
• Galleria d'Arte Moderna, Milan
• Guggenheim UBS MAP Global Art Initiative
• International Mozarteum Foundation
• Locarno International Film Festival
• London Symphony Orchestra
• Louisiana Museum of Modern Art
• Lucerne Festival
• Lucerne Symphony Orchestra
• Lugano Festival
• Montreux Jazz Festival

• New National Museum of Monaco
• Ravinia Festival
• Rheingau Musik Festival
• Sydney Theatre Company
• Singapore Sun Festival
• Swiss Institute Contemporary Art New York
• Thunerseespiele
• Utah Symphony
• Verbier Music Festival
• WOMEN: New Portraits byAnnie Leibovitz
• Zurich Opera

Naming rights

UBS currently holds the naming rights toUBS Arenawhich is the home of theNew York Islanders.

See also

• Banking in Switzerland
• Systemically important financial institution
• Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority
• UBS 100 Index
• UBS Securities, China branch

Further reading

• Schutz, Dirk.The Fall of the UBS: The Reasons Behind the Decline of the Union Bank of Switzerland,1st ed. Pyramid Media Group, 2000.ISBN978-1-57441-308-3.
• Fox, Guy.How the World Really Works: Investment Banking,Guy Fox Publishing, 2009.ISBN978-1-90471-111-7.
• Suter, Martin.Montecristo. Roman.Diogenes-Verlag, Zürich 2015. 320 S.ISBN978-3-257-06920-4.
• Blum, Georges.Société de Banque Suisse – Union de Banques Suisses. La vérité et le pourquoi de cette fusion.Favre, Lausanne 2015.ISBN978-2-8289-1548-3(French)
• Temkin, Ann.Contemporary Voices: Works from the UBS Art Collection,Museum of Modern Art; First Paperback edition, 2005.ISBN978-0-870-70087-3

External links

• Media related toUBSat Wikimedia Commons
• Official website
• Business data for UBS:
  • Bloomberg
  • Google
  • Reuters
  • SEC filings
  • Yahoo!
• Documents and clippings about UBSin the20th Century Press Archivesof theZBW