UBS Investment Bank Reports 5% Uptick in Operating Income YoY

UBS has reported its financial results for the full year of 2018, revealing a slight uptick in operating profit for the multinational financial services and investment banking firm.

Taking a look at the results, the Swiss bank managed to achieve an operating income of $30.2 billion. When measured against the previous year, which reported an operating income of $29.6 billion, this is up by around 2 percent.

Operating expenses in 2018 actually fell on a year-on-year comparison; however, the decline was marginal. Specifically, it fell from the $24.3 billion reported in 2017 by 0.2 percent to reach $24.2 billion last year.

As Finance Magnates reported, the investment banking unit drove solid performances in both the second and third quarter, with both periods beating market expectations as a result.

For the whole of 2018, UBS’ investment bank achieved a total operating income of $8.15 billion. This is higher by 5 percent when compared against 2017, which had an operating income of $7.79 billion.

During the year, the sector managed to reduce its operating expenses ever-so-slightly, lowering the costs by 0.4 percent from $6.53 billion in 2017 to $6.5 billion in 2018.

Moving on to the Investor Client Services section of the investment bank, foreign Exchange Exchange An exchange is known as a marketplace that supports the trading of derivatives, commodities, securities, and other financial instruments.Generally, an exchange is accessible through a digital platform or sometimes at a tangible address where investors organize to perform trading. Among the chief responsibilities of an exchange would be to uphold honest and fair-trading practices. These are instrumental in making sure that the distribution of supported security rates on that exchange are effectiv An exchange is known as a marketplace that supports the trading of derivatives, commodities, securities, and other financial instruments.Generally, an exchange is accessible through a digital platform or sometimes at a tangible address where investors organize to perform trading. Among the chief responsibilities of an exchange would be to uphold honest and fair-trading practices. These are instrumental in making sure that the distribution of supported security rates on that exchange are effectiv Read this Term (Forex Forex Foreign exchange or forex is the act of converting one nation’s currency into another nation’s currency (that possesses a different currency); for example, the converting of British Pounds into US Dollars, and vice versa. The exchange of currencies can be done over a physical counter, such as at a Bureau de Change, or over the internet via broker platforms, where currency speculation takes place, known as forex trading.The foreign exchange market, by its very nature, is the world’s largest tradi Foreign exchange or forex is the act of converting one nation’s currency into another nation’s currency (that possesses a different currency); for example, the converting of British Pounds into US Dollars, and vice versa. The exchange of currencies can be done over a physical counter, such as at a Bureau de Change, or over the internet via broker platforms, where currency speculation takes place, known as forex trading.The foreign exchange market, by its very nature, is the world’s largest tradi Read this Term), rates and credits generated an income of $1.63 billion. This represents an uptick of 16 percent when compared with the previous year.

Equities were also up on an annual comparison, climbing from $3.6 billion in 2017 to $3.9 billion in 2018. As a percentage, this represents a growth of 9 percent.

A Number of Financial Regulators fine UBS

The overall positive results for 2018 announced today, come just one day after the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) announced that it had fined the Swiss bank HKD 375 million ($47.8 million).

As Finance Magnates reported, the Hong Kong regulator said that UBS’ local subsidiaries failed to “discharge their obligations” with regard to the initial public offerings of three companies – China Forestry Holdings, the Tianhe Chemicals Group, and one unnamed firm.

Towards the end of February, UBS was fined again, this time by French Authorities, for tax fraud. A court in Paris found that the firm had helped French citizens evade tax, totaling billions of euros, from 2004 to 2012.

Alongside the fine, which amounted to €3.7 billion ($4.2 billion), the investment bank will also have to pay €800 million in “damages” to the French state.