UBS Group (UBS) has received interest from at least eight foreign banks regarding a possible merger or combination, Swiss newspaper Blick reported Sunday, citing an insider familiar with the matter.
UBS is under financial pressure to come up with an estimated additional $18 billion in reserves, after Switzerland's upper house voted on Wednesday to toughen the bank's capital requirements, Reuters reported Sunday.
Under the proposed rules, UBS would need to cover 90% of its foreign investments with Common Equity Tier 1 capital, according to Blick.
Before the vote last week by Swiss legislators, Colm Kelleher, UBS chairman, warned that the bank could rethink its Swiss base if capital reserve requirements were raised.
UBS did not immediately respond to MT Newswires' request for comment.
(Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)