Let’s talk about Credit Suisse today. The bank’s share price is down almost 60% this year, it has dealt with what feels like scandal after scandal in the last few years, and now the investment bank might be on the chopping block.
It’s a tense time for many insiders at Credit Suisse. Many are unsure if their jobs are safe, and they’re all sweating on the next earnings call, on October 27, for more clarity.
One person told me it’s a case of “rinse and repeat,” as Credit Suisse undergoes its second strategic review in less than a year.
Another person was “cynical” about leadership and questioned whether they knew what they were doing.
There’s a ton of speculation over Credit Suisse’s future, so I wrote a piece canvassing reactions from a few people at the firm. Check it out here.
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1. Credit Suisse’s investment bankers are stuck in limbo ahead of third-quarter earnings on October 27. They expressed frustration and resignation to me as they brace for a radical overhaul.
“We’re professional enough to keep working hard, but everybody is wondering what’s going on,” one managing director told me.
Among the plans reported to be under consideration are a three-way split of the investment bank, according to the Financial Times. Reviving the old Wall Street name of First Boston is another option, according to Bloomberg.
The bank, in response to the intense speculation, said in a press release on Monday that it was “on track” with its review and that it was considering potential divestitures and asset sales.
Under Chief Executive Ulrich Körner, Credit Suisse wants to transform its investment bank into a “capital-light, advisory-led banking business.”
That could potentially be curtains for thousands of jobs, Reuters reported.
“It’s the famous line: ‘Just business, not personal.’ I hate that, but such is life I guess. Some people are made for it,” another person told me.
“If I lose my job to ‘The Knife,’ at least it’s a good story,” this same banker said, in reference to Körner’s nickname ‘Uli the Knife’.
In other news:
Mitchell Leff/Getty Images
2. New Jersey deli Hometown — made famous through an investor letter from Greenlight Capital’s David Einhorn — is in the crosshairs of prosecutors and regulators. Federal prosecutors accused James T. Patten, Peter L. Coker Sr., and Peter L. Coker Jr. of artificially inflating the price of two companies: The deli’s parent Hometown International and E-Waste Corp., a distributor of electric tactical vehicles.
3. Celsius wants to issue “IOU” type cryptocurrency to customers who have signed up to some of its accounts. The bankrupt crypto lender said it is building out a new system to track its assets, people familiar with the matter told CNBC.
4. Top venture capitalists were asked to name the 21 most promising startups that could upend the health-tech space. Insider spoke to executives at firms like Redpoint Ventures, XYZ, and Menlo Ventures.
5. New York City’s empty offices reveal a global property dilemma. The rise of remote work will hurt older buildings and leave landlords in the lurch, according to Bloomberg.
6. Private-equity executives met recently along the shore of the French Riviera and did their best to ignore the woes of the industry. Top dealmakers exuded confidence even as market conditions have shifted the dynamics of the buyout industry, the Financial Times reported.
7. Social-media consultant Matt Navarra’s Geekout newsletter is on track to earn about $200,000 this year, Insider has learned. Here is how Navarra built a newsletter business that has garnered more than 22,000 subscribers.
8. Fall is usually a busy time for hiring in the entertainment industry, especially at the big streaming companies. The boom, however, is quieter this year. Here is where the jobs are now and when hiring will pick up again.
9. Vori just raised $10 million for its grocery-inventory software aimed at independent grocers. Here is a look at the 13-page pitch deck that helped the startup secure the funds.
10. Henna Choi left a high-paying job as a lawyer to pursue making TikTok videos. Choi always feared being a “quitter,” but now she does not regret it.
People moves:
TA Associates has appointed Jennifer Barbetta its chief operating officer. She will join the private-equity firm from Starwood Capital Group, where she was also COO. Before that, Barbetta was a partner at Goldman Sachs.Andrew Bednar has been appointed chief executive of advisory firm Perella Weinberg Partners. Peter Weinberg intends to step down as CEO, the firm said.
Curated by Aaron Weinman in New York. Tips? Email [email protected] or tweet @aaronw11. Edited by Hallam Bullock (tweet @hallam_bullock) in London.