Squawk Box Europe Express

The Federal Reserve’s top banking regulator calls the collapse of SVB “a textbook case of mismanagement”, blaming oversight at the start-up lender as Washington officials set up congressional hearings. Shares at First Citizens Bank soar following the deal with the FDIC to sweep up SVB’s deposits and loans. CEO Frank Holding tells CNBC the move will shore up confidence in the deposit system. Doubleline Capital’s Jeffrey Gundlach urges investors to sell into the rallies after warning a U.S. recession is imminent. And in crypto news, U.S. regulators sue exchange Binance and its CEO CZ for allegedly violating compliance rules to attract American consumers.

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First Citizens Bank has agreed to buy collapsed Silicon Valley from the U.S. FDIC, taking on all its deposits and loans. Regulators are mulling disciplinary action against Credit Suisse as the cost of insuring defaults causes Deutsche Bank to plunge. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says that comparisons between the two banks should not be made. Chinese industrial profits slump by more than 20 per cent in January and February as rising commodity costs and a bumpy Covid recovery impact manufacturers. In France, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne is to meet with opposition leaders as violent pension reform protests continue around the country. And in Israel, President Isaac Herzog has called on the government to stop its overhaul of the judiciary after Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu sacked the country’s defence minister over his opposition to the plans. The move has triggered mass demonstrations nationwide.  

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U.S. equities close in the green following a rollercoaster session and are set to end the week higher after U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen moves to calm contagion fears. The UK, Switzerland and Norway all hike interest rates. BoE Governor Andrew Bailey says that the recent turmoil in the banking sector is not a repeat of 2008. EU leaders meet in in Brussels following the meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin and warn that the rapprochement between the two nations poses a ‘big challenge’ for the bloc. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is grilled by U.S. Congress where lawmakers are threatening to ban the controversial Chinese app. Chew insists the company is free from CCP influence. And shares in Jack Dorsey’s payment firm Block slide following accusations by short-seller Hindenberg Research of inflated user numbers and allowing fraudulent payments

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The U.S. Federal Reserve raises interest rates by 25bps and hints that the hiking cycle may be close to ending. A cautious Jerome Powell says that recent banking sector turmoil could trigger a credit crunch. U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen back-tracks on deposit backstops causing equities to plunge and banks to sell off. We also preview upcoming central bank moves at the Bank of England as the UK struggles to bring down inflation as well as at the SNB following the Credit Suisse collapse. In crypto news, the U.S. SEC accuses Coinbase of potential security violations. Bitcoin, however is touching on nine-month highs.

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U.S. markets receive a boost as bank stocks rally with Californian lender First Republic and others leading gains following a promise of protective measures from U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. Investors now await today’s Fed rate decision as well as more assurances a potential wider banking crisis will be contained with markets pricing in a 25bps hike. S&P urge investors to reassess their risk tolerance to AT1 bonds following Credit Suisse’s $17bn bond wipeout. Meanwhile, UBS is reportedly moving to unwind Michael Klein’s majority share in First Boston. And in tech news, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is to testify on Capitol Hill, insisting it is not a CCP agent.  

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Global banks enjoy a relief rally after UBS’s $30bn takeover of beleaguered Swiss rival Credit Suisse. We are live in Zurich for the latest. However, First Republic Bank sees shares plunge once more as news emerges that JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon is reportedly leading efforts to stabilise the Californian lender. Credit Suisse bondholders consider legal action against the Swiss state after the government wiped out all bondholders of AT1 debt. UBS’s sees its credit rating revised to ‘negative’ by Moody’s and S&P. In Paris, the government narrowly wins a vote of no-confidence which allows it to push through unpopular pension reforms. Prime minister Elisabeth Borne says the move will secure France’s economic health. In retail news, Amazon is to cut a further 9,000 jobs on fears of economic uncertainty.

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UBS agrees to buy Credit Suisse for CHF 3.2bn in a historic deal that Swiss authorities say was desperately needed to prevent the collapse of the country’s second largest lender. Additional Tier 1 bondholders will be wiped out and UBS will take on more than $5bn of losses. Some of the largest central banks have announced fresh liquidity measures to stem any further fallout. Asian equities are in the red while futures are mixed both in Europe and the U.S. First Republic Bank has its status cut to ‘junk’ by S&P and warns that a recent $30bn emergency deal may fall short.   

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U.S. banks band together, propping up First Republic with a $30 billion rescue deal. Meanwhile, UBS and Credit Suisse reportedly oppose a government-orchestrated tie-up, as the Swiss lender insists its capital position hasn't changed. Wall Street rallies, with banking stocks posting their best day of the year - putting the S&P500 on track for its best weekly performance since January. Investor attention now turns to the Fed and its response to the banking sector turmoil, after the ECB hikes rates by 50 basis points. And protests erupt across France, as Emmanuel Macron exercises his presidential powers to push through his controversial pension reform plan - potentially opening himself up to an immediate vote of no confidence.

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Credit Suisse takes a 50 billion franc lifeline from the Swiss National Bank as it looks to restore confidence in the lender, after shares plummet 24 percent. The Chairman of the Saudi National Bank tells CNBC there have been no talks about providing additional financial assistance to Credit Suisse, as he tries to firm up confidence in the embattled lender. European banks brace themselves after a bruising session - that saw the sector plunge 7%, the worst day since Russia invaded Ukraine. Oil recovers some ground after hitting its lowest level since December 2021, amid fears the banking crisis could dent global economic growth. Cracks in the global banking system cast doubt over the ECB's resolve, with market bets clouded on the likelihood of a 50 basis point hike today.

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Contagion fears ease, sending global equity markets higher while U.S. core CPI tops estimates, putting more pressure on the Fed in the wake of the SVB collapse. China reports a rebound in consumer spending while real estate investment continues to lag as Beijing's post-covid year gets off to a mixed start. Meta continues its "year of efficiency" announcing another 10,000 layoffs, cancelling thousands of open positions, and stopping low priority projects. And the UK gears up for Chancellor Jeremy Hunt's first budget - expected to unveil key pension and childcare reforms, and push ahead with a controversial rise in corporation tax - which critics say will hit the recovery.

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