UBS’s recovery gathered pace in the first quarter as it reaped the benefits from a rebuild of its investment banking operations and private banking clients demonstrated increased confidence in the Swiss group.
UBS’s private banking operations attracted SFr11.1bn ($12.7bn) in new money from wealthy private clients in Asia and emerging markets as the bank, which saw more than SFr200bn in outflows in the credit crunch, regained some of its lustre after a limping revival in 2010.
The group’s investment banking division also held up well in turbulent markets, with revenues from its once-moribund fixed income, currencies and commodities franchise nearly doubling quarter on quarter, overshadowing a less encouraging three months for its capital markets businesses.