Articles by Katharina Bart and Simon Jessop

Zurich Insurance Considering Bid for UK’s RSA

Cash-rich Zurich Insurance is weighing a bid for British rival RSA Insurance Group which could top $8 billion and be the latest industry tie-up amid toughening regulations. The impending launch of new European rules governing how much money insurers must …

Zurich CFO’s Widow to Confront Insurer at Annual Meeting; Company Defends Probe

Seven months after the suicide of Zurich Insurance finance chief Pierre Wauthier, his widow is set to confront the company over its handling of the tragedy, reopening a scandal that unsettled investors. In the first extensive interview since her husband’s …

Europe Warns Swiss of Consequences after Immigration Vote

Switzerland could lose its privileged access to the European single market, European officials said on Monday, after Swiss voters narrowly backed proposals to curtail immigration from the EU in a referendum that has unsettled business. The vote on Sunday was …

Zurich CFO’s Suicide Followed Disagreement on Business Targets

On August 14, Zurich Insurance chairman Josef Ackermann received financial chief Pierre Wauthier and head of investor relations James Quin at his office overlooking Lake Zurich to finalise the company’s second-quarter results, due for release the next day. Most of …

Credit Suisse to Pay $400 Million to Settle U.S. Bond Lawsuits

Credit Suisse Group AG has agreed to pay at least $400 million to settle lawsuits by investors over the Swiss bank’s role in raising money for a healthcare financing company that collapsed in a $2.9 billion fraud more than a …

UBS Admits Fraud in Libor Rigging Scheme; To Pay $1.5 Billion Fine

Swiss bank UBS swallowed a $1.5 billion fine and admitted to fraud on Wednesday after a global probe revealed its staff orchestrated the manipulation of benchmark interest rates over three continents. UBS traders colluded with brokers to rig the Libor …

Recession, Libor, Facebook Punish Europe’s Banks

Leading European banks reported dismal profits on Tuesday, blaming everything from the continent’s debt crisis and Spain’s property market crash to Facebook’s disastrous stock market debut. Within a space of an hour UBS of Switzerland, Deutsche Bank, BBVA of Spain …