Credit Suisse has postponed publication of its annual report after a last-minute call from the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which raised questions about its earlier financial statements.
he unusual intervention by the US regulator is the latest blow to Credit Suisse as it attempts to rebuild investor confidence after a series of scandals and setbacks that have sent its shares plunging and led clients to withdraw billions.
Credit Suisse shares were close to their all-time low in Zurich yesterday but later recovered much of a 6pc loss.
The Zurich-based bank said the SEC had called it late on Wednesday regarding “certain open SEC comments about the technical assessment of previously disclosed revisions to the consolidated cash flow statements in the years ended December 31, 2020, and 2019, as well as related controls”.
The bank had revised how it booked a series of cash flows, including share-based compensation and foreign exchange hedges.
Credit Suisse said that following the call it had decided to postpone publication of its 2022 annual report.
“Management believes it is prudent to briefly delay the publication of its accounts in order to understand more thoroughly the comments received,” it said, adding that the 2022 financial results “are not impacted”.
The SEC declined to comment on the matter, a spokesman for the organisation said.
Other regulatory authorities were not involved, a person familiar with the matter said.
Swiss financial regulator Finma told Reuters that Credit Suisse had informed it of the delayed publication.
“We are in contact with the bank,” Finma said.
It remains unclear when the annual report will be released and the Credit Suisse announcement concerned analysts.
“(It) does not help investor sentiment and it does not help in rebuilding trust,” said Andreas Venditti from Vontobel.
Switzerland’s second-biggest bank has begun a major overhaul of its business, cutting costs and jobs to revive its fortunes, including creating a separate business for its investment bank under the CS First Boston brand.