A securities class action has been filed against Credit Suisse Group AG (CS) on behalf of a class consisting of all persons and entities other than Defendants that purchased or otherwise acquired Credit Suisse securities between December 1, 2022 through February 17, 2023. This case has been filed in the USDC – NJ.
Credit Suisse, together with its subsidiaries, provides various financial services in Switzerland, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Americas, and Asia Pacific. The Company offers wealth management solutions, including investment advice and discretionary asset management services; risk management solutions, such as managed investment products; and wealth planning, succession planning, and trust services.
In October 2022, Credit Suisse began experiencing a sharp increase in customer outflows, or withdrawals of client funds, after a series of quarterly losses and risk and compliance failures significantly decreased the Company’s American Depositary Share (“ADS”) price.
On December 1, 2022, Credit Suisse’s Chairman, Defendant Axel P. Lehmann (“Lehmann”) stated in an interview with Financial Times that customer outflows had not only “completely flattened out,” but had, in fact, “partially reversed.”
The following day, in an interview with Bloomberg Television, Defendant Lehmann reiterated his previous statements, reassuring investors that as of November 11, 2022, customer outflows had “basically stopped”.
Following Defendant Lehmann’s statements, Credit Suisse’s ADS price rose $0.29 per ADS, or 9.36%, to close at $3.38 per ADS on December 2, 2022.
The complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Company’s business, operations, and compliance policies. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) contrary to Defendant Lehmann’s representations in December 2022, the sharp increase in customer outflows Credit Suisse began experiencing in October 2022 remained ongoing; (ii) accordingly, Credit Suisse had downplayed the impact of the Company’s recent series of quarterly losses and risk and compliance failures on liquidity and its ability to retain client funds; (iii) as a result, Credit Suisse had overstated the Company’s financial position and/or prospects; and (iv) as a result, the Company’s public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.
On February 9, 2023, Credit Suisse issued a press release announcing its 2022 financial results. The press release revealed that, contrary to Defendant Lehmann’s prior statements, large customer outflows had continued through year-end 2022. Specifically, the press release reported customer outflows of 110.5 billion Swiss francs in the final three months of 2022, a figure which far exceeded market expectations.
On this news, Credit Suisse’s ADS price fell $0.56 per ADS, or 15.64%, to close at $3.02 per ADS on February 9, 2023.
Then, on February 21, 2023, Reuters reported that the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority was reviewing Defendant Lehmann’s previous comments regarding customer outflows.
On this news, Credit Suisse’s ADS price fell another $0.10 per ADS, or 3.31%, to close at $2.92 per ADS on February 21, 2023.