Financials Credit Analyst

Hank Calenti, CFA

CreditContinuum

Credit

Executive Summary: <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/ubs-group-ag" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:22590:1" rel="noopener">UBS Group's (UBSG VX)</a> Archegos surprise provides three lessons for credit investors. The net result is that it is time to lighten exposure to this financial institution.First, the firm is much more than a simple asset manager, it is a material off-balance sheet leverage provider to wealth management clients. Second, this risk, although not incorporated in risk management disclosures, is the reason why UBS’ capital constraint is leverage ratio driven. Third, broader financial market risk exposure may be the biggest risk for credit investors at current trading levels. We elaborate more on each within.UBS’ Additional Tier 1 bonds trade at a material premium to other firms. Considering that UBS is exposed by more than the market expected to idiosyncratic events impacting other banks, juxtaposed with a low capital buffer relative to firms with much less market exposure, and given that financial market conditions are about as good as it can get for investment banking and asset managers, now is the time to lighten exposure to firms like UBS.In light of today’s announcement and the path forward from a financial market perspective, we recommend that investors Underweight exposure to UBS.

Executive Summary: UBS Group's (UBSG VX) Archegos surprise provides three lessons for credit investors. The net result is that it is time to lighten exposure to this financial institution.First, the firm is much more than a simple asset manager, it is a material off-balance sheet leverage provider to wealth management clients. Second, this risk, although not incorporated in risk management disclosures, is the reason why UBS’ capital constraint is leverage ratio driven. Third, broader financial market risk exposure may be the biggest risk for credit investors at current trading levels. We elaborate more on each within.UBS’ Additional Tier 1 bonds trade at a material premium to other firms. Considering that UBS is exposed by more than the market expected to idiosyncratic events impacting other banks, juxtaposed with a low capital buffer relative to firms with much less market exposure, and given that financial market conditions are about as good as it can get for investment banking and asset managers, now is the time to lighten exposure to firms like UBS.In light of today’s announcement and the path forward from a financial market perspective, we recommend that investors Underweight exposure to UBS.

UBS: Archegos Surprise; Underweight on Three Lessons Learned

Independent research on the U.S. markets, Baptista Research

Baptista Research

Independent research on the U.S. markets

Baptista Research is an independent financial research house focused on the U.S. markets. We provide equity research as well as credit research reports on the top-listed U.S. companies with most of our focus on technology, consumer goods and services, automobiles, industrials, oil and gas, pharma, and healthcare. Our research has served more than 3000 institutional investors including mutual funds, hedge funds, banks, family offices, and various buy-side firms. We operate a research subscription service where institutions, as well as retail investors, can have priority access to all our research. We also have a wide distribution of our research reports across some of the top global financial platforms. Apart from equity research and credit research, we also provide advisory services with respect to mergers & acquisitions (M&A), private equity/ venture capital fundraising, valuation reports, and investment management services for corporates.
Baptista Research is owned and managed by Ishan Majumdar, an ex-Venture Capitalist/ Investment Banker, a Chartered Accountant, and a Masters’ degree holder in Management from HEC Paris. Ishan has nearly a decade of experience in Mergers and Acquisitions, Leveraged Buyouts (LBOs), Venture Capital Investing, Corporate Strategy, and Valuation in front-office roles at the likes of BNP Paribas CIB, Credit Agricole CIB, Groupe Danone, and TIW Private Equity. He has worked on and closed multiple acquisition deals, leveraged buyouts, and start-up investment transactions.

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>This is our first report on UBS Group AG, one of the largest banking service companies.</li>
<li>The company delivered a decent result in the last quarter driven by strong flows across Global Wealth Management and Asset Management.</li>
<li>The company will continue to prioritize a capital-light and client-focused Investment Bank model while managing activities outside its strategic focus.</li>
</ul>


This is our first report on UBS Group AG, one of the largest banking service companies.
The company delivered a decent result in the last quarter driven by strong flows across Global Wealth Management and Asset Management.
The company will continue to prioritize a capital-light and client-focused Investment Bank model while managing activities outside its strategic focus.


UBS Group AG: Initiation of Coverage – The Credit Suisse Acquisition & Other Drivers

Financials & FinTech research, Galliano’s Financials Research

Victor Galliano

Financials & FinTech research

Financials & FinTech, EM & Developed Markets

Galliano’s Financials Research

Galliano's Financials Research provides fundamental research in Emerging Markets financials, including FinTech, as well as financials in select Developed Markets.

The investment style applied is generally value oriented, although Growth At Reasonable Price (GARP) strategies can also be used where appropriate. 

Our investment research approach aim is often contrarian, looking to capitalise on overly sceptical or optimistic consensus views. In terms of valuation techniques, the focus is on PBV ratio to ROE, PE multiples and dividend yield, as well as the application of PEG ratios and, where appropriate, Sum of the Parts (SOTP) valuations.

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>The UBS acquisition of Credit Suisse includes the write-off of CHF15.8bn (USD17bn) of Additional Tier 1 (AT1) bonds, despite there being residual equity value for CS shareholders in the deal</li>
<li>AT1s are the most junior, loss absorbing of bonds; precedent exists for the zeroing of AT1s in Spain’s Banco Popular 2017 failure, but importantly this also included shareholders being zeroed</li>
<li>The Credit Suisse AT1 write-off is by far the biggest so far and this unconventional treatment of shareholders versus junior bondholders should lead European banks’ cost of equity to rise</li>
</ul>


The UBS acquisition of Credit Suisse includes the write-off of CHF15.8bn (USD17bn) of Additional Tier 1 (AT1) bonds, despite there being residual equity value for CS shareholders in the deal
AT1s are the most junior, loss absorbing of bonds; precedent exists for the zeroing of AT1s in Spain’s Banco Popular 2017 failure, but importantly this also included shareholders being zeroed
The Credit Suisse AT1 write-off is by far the biggest so far and this unconventional treatment of shareholders versus junior bondholders should lead European banks’ cost of equity to rise


Technical Analyst, Vermilion Research

Joe Jasper

Technical Analyst

Technical and Quantitative Research

Vermilion Research

Vermilion’s objective is to deliver timely, actionable, and unique technical research to professional investors through the application of our various technical indicators.

Our research strategists seek to highlight securities which we believe are at major inflection points, based on our various technical and quantitative indicators, and offer asymmetric risk/return profiles. Our unique research methodology, centered on relative strength, enables our strategists to deliver superior investment recommendations.

Our process begins by organizing the universe of actively traded stocks into discrete sectors, then into industry groups. We then apply our technical and quantitative tools to identify developing price trends. Once attractive trends are identified within a selected sector or group, we screen for individual stocks which we believe offer the best risk/reward profile. We provide a historical perspective that often reveals, through our long-term charts, how price patterns often repeat themselves over time.

Technical Analysis

iShares MSCI ACWI ETF / Technical Analysis

<ul>
<li>With the MSCI ACWI (ACWI-US) approaching the top-end of our expected 2023 trading range at $93, we see limited upside from here, and we believe caution is warranted.</li>
<li>We want to remain overweight Europe and the UK, but we prefer to buy only on pullbacks.</li>
<li>The Hang Seng and MSCI China (MCHI-US) are both getting rejected at their important resistances discussed last week, and we would expect to see a basing process develop below resistance.</li>
</ul>


With the MSCI ACWI (ACWI-US) approaching the top-end of our expected 2023 trading range at $93, we see limited upside from here, and we believe caution is warranted.
We want to remain overweight Europe and the UK, but we prefer to buy only on pullbacks.
The Hang Seng and MSCI China (MCHI-US) are both getting rejected at their important resistances discussed last week, and we would expect to see a basing process develop below resistance.


Caution Warranted; ACWI-US At $93 Resistance; Buys in Communications, Staples, Materials, Financials

AngloGold Ashanti Spon Adr / Technical Analysis

<ul>
<li>We continue to see more global indexes/Sectors breaking out to new highs, with the latest being the MSCI Emerging Markets index (local currency), breaking out from a 2-year base--add exposure.</li>
<li>In terms of MSCI EM specifically, this is a huge risk-on signal for global equities, as EM is pretty much as risky as it gets across the global landscape.</li>
<li>Our bullish outlook (since early November 2023) remains intact; continue to ride this trend higher, and treat pullbacks as buying opportunities.</li>
</ul>


We continue to see more global indexes/Sectors breaking out to new highs, with the latest being the MSCI Emerging Markets index (local currency), breaking out from a 2-year base--add exposure.
In terms of MSCI EM specifically, this is a huge risk-on signal for global equities, as EM is pretty much as risky as it gets across the global landscape.
Our bullish outlook (since early November 2023) remains intact; continue to ride this trend higher, and treat pullbacks as buying opportunities.


MSCI Emerging Markets Finally Join the Rally; China/HK Improve; Upgrading Taiwan, Downgrading Brazil

Switzerland

UBS Group AG provides financial services to private, corporate, and institutional clients. The Company offers investment, retail, and corporate and institutional banking, as well as holistic wealth management planning and asset management services. UBS Group also offers securities services such as fund administration and third-party fund management.

UBS Group (UBSG SW)

UBS: Archegos Surprise; Underweight on Three Lessons Learned

The Archegos surprise provides three lessons for credit investors. The net result is that it is time to lighten exposure to UBS.

Hank Calenti, CFA

UBS Group AG: Initiation of Coverage – The Credit Suisse Acquisition & Other Drivers

This is our first report on UBS Group AG, one of the largest banking service companies. The company delivered a decent result in the last quarter...

Baptista Research

AT1 Bonds; Life After Credit Suisse

The CS AT1 write-off due to UBS's acquisition is an unconventional action on bondholders versus shareholders, implying a rising banks' cost of...

Victor Galliano

Caution Warranted; ACWI-US At $93 Resistance; Buys in Communications, Staples, Materials, Financials

With the MSCI $ACWI approaching the top-end of our expected 2023 trading range at $93, we see limited upside from here and believe caution is...

Vermilion Research

MSCI Emerging Markets Finally Join the Rally; China/HK Improve; Upgrading Taiwan, Downgrading Brazil

MSCI EM Finally Joins the Rally; China/Hong Kong Continue to Improve; Downgrading Brazil to Market Weight; Upgrading Taiwan to Overweight;...

Vermilion Research