Credit Suisse Securities

Credit Suisse Securities is a division of Credit Suisse Group, functioning as the investment banking and capital markets segment. It is not a standalone legal entity but operates under the bank's umbrella. As of 2023, following the UBS merger, its structures are being integrated into UBS's investment banking operations (per UBS, 2023).

The firm engages in both. As an investment bank, it underwrites public offerings and provides M&A advisory (client-facing). Additionally, its principal trading desks make direct investments in equities, credit, and real estate for the bank's own account. It also operates funds, such as the Credit Suisse Real Estate Fund, though specific fund sizes are not publicly separated from the bank's overall balance sheet (per Credit Suisse annual report, 2022).

The firm primarily targets large-cap companies and institutional clients in late-stage or public markets, focusing on IPOs, follow-on offerings, and debt issuances. On the principal side, it invests across liquid public securities and private credit, but avoids early-stage venture capital unless through its private banking unit. Stage preference is growth and mature companies (public record).

Credit Suisse Securities has not publicly disclosed any explicit avoidance of specific sectors. However, its risk appetite historically shied away from high-volatility areas like special-purpose acquisition companies post-2021 and certain regulatory-heavy industries such as tobacco and gambling, though this is not officially stated. By 2022, the firm reduced exposure to complex structured products due to regulatory pressure (per Bloomberg, 2022).