The Swiss central financial institution mentioned it will present a liquidity backstop to Credit score Suisse after the lender’s shares cratered as a lot as 30 per cent, sparking a broader sell-off in European and US financial institution shares.

In a joint assertion with regulator Finma on Wednesday night, the Swiss Nationwide Financial institution insisted there have been “no indications of a direct danger of contagion for Swiss establishments as a result of present turmoil within the US banking market”.

Credit score Suisse executives held talks with representatives from the SNB and Finma all through Wednesday afternoon after the financial institution’s fairness and bonds plunged in worth following the failure of three US banks final week. The Monetary Instances first reported that Credit score Suisse had requested a public assertion of assist.

“Credit score Suisse meets the upper capital and liquidity necessities relevant to systemically essential banks,” the SNB and Finma mentioned. “As well as, the SNB will present liquidity to the globally energetic financial institution if crucial.”

Shares in Credit score Suisse sank as little as SFr1.56 on Wednesday, having earlier been halted amid a heavy sell-off.

The steep share value declines got here after the collapse of Silicon Valley Financial institution within the US and the chair of the Saudi Nationwide Financial institution, which purchased a ten per cent stake in Credit score Suisse final yr, dominated out offering the Swiss lender with any extra monetary help.

The financial institution has been roiled by a collection of scandals lately, together with the most important buying and selling loss in its 167-year historical past on the implosion of Archegos Capital and the damaging closure of $10bn of funding funds linked to collapsed finance agency Greensill.

Credit score Suisse shares closed down 24 per cent on Wednesday, as its market cap slipped under SFr7bn ($7.6bn), with the financial institution having raised SFr4bn of capital only a few months in the past. The shares are down 39 per cent this yr and 85 per cent over the previous two years.

“It’s trying inevitable that the Swiss Nationwide Financial institution should intervene and supply a lifeline,” mentioned Octavio Marenzi, analyst at Opimas. “The [Swiss National Bank] and the Swiss authorities are absolutely conscious that the failure of Credit score Suisse and even any losses by deposit holders would destroy Switzerland’s repute as a monetary centre.”

Finma didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark; the SNB and Credit score Suisse declined to remark.

Individually, the European Central Financial institution has requested EU lenders to reveal their exposures to the Swiss lender, an individual aware of the matter advised the Monetary Instances.

The ECB debated making a public assertion to try to calm the waters, however as of Wednesday afternoon it had determined in opposition to doing so for worry of including to market panic, the particular person added.

A US Treasury spokesperson mentioned on Wednesday: “Treasury is monitoring this case and has been in contact with international counterparts.”

Credit score Suisse’s woes reignited a broader sell-off in financial institution shares in Europe and the US, which had been already reeling this week from the failure of Silicon Valley Financial institution.

BNP Paribas shares dropped 10 per cent and Société Générale fell 12 per cent. Deutsche Financial institution and Barclays each misplaced 9 per cent, whereas ING fell 10 per cent. Wider fairness markets had been dragged decrease, with the Europe-wide Stoxx 600 dropping 2.9 per cent. The promoting unfold to Wall Avenue, with the S&P 500 falling 1.7 per cent in early commerce led by banks.

Citigroup shares dropped 2.9 per cent and JPMorgan misplaced 7 per cent. US regional lenders on the centre of a sell-off earlier this week fell extra sharply.

Banks on the Stoxx 600 have now misplaced 16 per cent this month in a rout sparked by SVB’s failure. Buyers mentioned Credit score Suisse’s issues had been a reminder that Europe’s banks additionally had giant holdings of bonds that had been hammered by rising rates of interest.

“Credit score Suisse is an remoted case,” mentioned Charles-Henry Monchau, chief funding officer at Syz Financial institution. “However banks in Europe, due to regulatory stress, needed to load up on negative-yielding bonds on the worst time and now they’re dealing with main unrealised losses.”

The spreads on Credit score Suisse’s five-year credit score default swaps, which point out investor bearishness, widened to 1,145 foundation factors on Wednesday, from 350bp at the beginning of the month.

Requested on Bloomberg TV whether or not Saudi Nationwide Financial institution could be open to offering capital to Credit score Suisse if there was a name for added funding, SNB chair Ammar Alkhudairy mentioned: “The reply is totally not, for a lot of causes exterior the only purpose which is regulatory and statutory.”

He mentioned proudly owning greater than 10 per cent of Credit score Suisse would carry further regulatory necessities. In feedback to journalists on the occasion, he added that he was pleased with the financial institution’s restructuring plan and didn’t really feel it wanted additional capital.

In a separate interview at a finance convention in Saudi Arabia, Credit score Suisse chair Axel Lehmann mentioned on Wednesday that monetary help from the Swiss authorities “isn’t a subject” for the lender.

“We now have sturdy capital ratios, a powerful stability sheet,” he mentioned, including that the financial institution was within the technique of executing a radical restructuring geared toward arresting years of scandals and losses. “We already took the medication.”

A day earlier, chief govt Ulrich Körner mentioned prospects had been persevering with to drag cash from the financial institution, however at a a lot decrease stage than late final yr, when Credit score Suisse suffered SFr111bn of outflows.

Credit score Suisse had additionally revealed on Tuesday that its auditor, PwC, had recognized “materials weaknesses” in its monetary reporting controls, which had led to the delay of the publication of its annual report final week after the US Securities and Trade Fee wished additional readability on flaws.

Extra reporting by Katie Martin, Martin Arnold, Sam Jones and James Politi