Credit Suisse

Eurobank's chief economist Platon Monokroussos is leaving the bank to join hedge fund firm Brevan Howard, sources at Greece's third-largest lender by assets told Reuters on Monday.

Founded in 2002 by former Credit Suisse traders Alan Howard, Jean Philippe Blochet, Chris Rokos and Tryfon Natsis, Brevan Howard has more than 15 billion euros in assets under management.

The leap in assets at Credit Suisse's private bank to a record high this year has been aided by a key plank of the bank's new strategy: lending money to the world's ultra-wealthy. Switzerland's second-biggest bank is trying to lure more rich customers by helping them fund their businesses and lifestyles, with shipping, aviation and real estate loans a central focus. 

Privatizations fund TAIPED has started the process for the sale of its holdings in OTE telecom and Athens International Airport (AIA). It is now commissioning financial consultants to be tasked with coming up with a utilization model and assisting the process until transactions are complete.

Credit Suisse extended its global charm offensive on April 3 insisting it has "zero tolerance" for tax evasion after hundreds of its clients and top employees became the target of an international fraud probe.     

The Swiss financial giant took out double-page ads in leading European papers claiming it had no desire to work with tax cheats.     

Deposits in Greek banks' savings accounts dipped below the 50-billion-euro mark in November for the first time since capitals controls were imposed in June 2015, Bank of Greece data show.

Credit Suisse and Deutsche Bank have been hit with a combined penalty of more than $12 billion over the sale of U.S. toxic debt, further hampering two of Europe's leading investment banks as they struggle with weak earnings.

Swiss private bank EFG International plans to cut up to 450 jobs over the next three years as part of its takeover of BSI Bank.

Its acquisition of Swiss rival BSI from Brazil's Grupo BTG Pactual SA has made EFG one of Switzerland's biggest private banks, behind the likes of UBS, Credit Suisse, Julius Baer and Pictet.

Credit Suisse issued an account of the World Wealth Levels for 2015.

By Alan Soughley &Greek Stocks Lead Europe Higher as Investors Look to Debt Talk

Greek stocks headed for their biggest rally in a more than a month, leading European shares higher as investors awaited the outcome of the country?s debt talks.

Greece’s biggest refiner Hellenic Petroleum (ELPE) said on Thursday it mandated Barclays Bank PLC and Credit Suisse Securities as global coordinators to issue a five-year bond.

This would be the company’s second debt issue since May, when it sold $400 million of bonds to improve its liquidity.

[Reuters]