European shares choppy amid Credit Suisse-UBS slide; mining and utilities lead gains

European bond yields fell Monday as markets remained jittery amid the UBS takeover of Credit Suisse.

Germany’s benchmark 10-year bond yield was down just under 10 basis points, to 2.025%, at 11:00 a.m. local time.

Yields on U.K. 2-year and 10-year bonds were both down around 9 basis points, to 3.138% and 3.188%.

Bond yields move inversely with prices.

It comes after the U.S. Federal Reserve announced on Sunday it would co-ordinate with the Bank of Canada, Bank of England, Bank of Japan, European Central Bank and Swiss National Bank to enhance the provision of liquidity through the standing U.S. dollar swap line arrangements.

Joost van Leenders, senior investment strategist at Van Lanschot Kempen, said in a note it was “very difficult to have a clear view of what’s happening in the banking sector” and financial markets feared something broader was at play.

Bank stocks slid at the open Monday, with Credit Suisse and UBS driving the fall.

Banking stocks were down 2.75% by 9:17 a.m. London time, paring some losses.

Credit Suisse shares were down 58%, while UBS recovered slightly to trade 9% lower by 9:17 a.m. London time after the latter agreed to an emergency takeover of its embattled rival.

Other banks also lingered in the red, with ING Groep, Deutsche Bank and Barclays all down over 5%.

— Katrina Bishop

European stocks were lower in early trade as investors assessed a news-filled weekend that resulted in a UBS takeover of Credit Suisse.

The Stoxx 600 index was 1.4% lower at 8:30 a.m. London time, with losses across the major stock exchanges and in all sectors bar utilities.

Credit Suisse shares were down 61.95% in pre-market trade via private bank Julius Baer, Reuters reported at 8:14 a.m. CET, following news of the former lender’s takeover by UBS.

UBS Group shares lost 7.1%.

Credit Suisse has until the Swiss market open at 9:00 a.m. CET to suspend trading in its shares. It has yet to do so.

“With the takeover of Credit Suisse by UBS, a solution has been found to secure financial stability and protect the Swiss economy in this exceptional situation,” the Swiss National Bank said of the deal over the weekend.

Credit Suisse shares fell 25.5% last week.

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— Weizhen Tan

UBS finalized an agreement to buy its rival Credit Suisse for $3.2 billion. Swiss regulators played a key role in facilitating the deal in an effort to quell a contagion threatening the banking sector.

Credit Suisse saw its shares tumble last week after its largest investor, the Saudi National Bank, declined to provide additional funding. Despite subsequent measures from Credit Suisse and Swiss regulators to calm investors’ fears — including a loan of up to 50 billion Swiss francs ($54 billion) — shares plunged 25.5% by the end of the week.

Under the deal, Credit Suisse shareholders will receive one UBS share for every 22.48 Credit Suisse shares. The combined bank will have $5 trillion of invested assets, according to UBS.

— Hakyung Kim

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— Zavier Ong

European markets are set to start the new trading week in mixed territory Monday.

The U.K.’s FTSE 100 index is expected to be flat at 7,331, Germany’s DAX 10 points higher at 14,773, France’s CAC down 2 points at 6,924 and Italy’s FTSE MIB down 59 points at 24,928, according to data from IG.

On the data front, euro zone trade balance figures for January are set to be released.

— Holly Ellyatt