The bank’s chairman Axel Lehmann said the planned capital increase would make the lender «rock solid,» while putting past rumors of a takeover to bed.
Credit Suisse chairman Axel Lehmann confirmed in an interview with «Bloomberg TV» in Hong Kong, that the bank wanted to stay independent, the newswire wrote Monday (behind paywall).
The bank aims to become a wealth management-centric franchise, centered around entrepreneurs, wealthy clients, the chairman said, adding that it wants to grow in Latin America, Asia Pacific and Middle East markets.
Growth Markets
The chair was positive about the growth prospects in Asia-Pacific, while pushing back on any suggestion the bank had plans to weaken its commitment to China over concern about the country’s growth or about the geopolitical situation, the report said.
Lehmann also said he was pleased to have the Saudi National Bank on board but avoided answering a question about having concerns about Saudi Arabia’s human rights track record.
Sign of Confidence
Having bought $1 million worth of shares as a sign of confidence in the bank’s strategy, the chairman told Bloomberg «we are going to thrive again.»
